GBOGRAPHY 



BY THEJ 



BRACE SYSTEM, 



OR 



Houl to Study Geography. 



Nortti America. 



Prepared for the Use of Teacher and Pupil 



COUNTY SUP'T JOHN M. BOYKR 



AN] 



JOHN F. WICKS. 

CHICAGO : ^ "^ ^ ^ ^ ] 

A. FLANAGAN, Publisher. 



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Copyright, 1892, 

BY JOHN F. WICKS, 

All Rights Reserved. 



Tatl^ of C oi)ber)b^, 



Page. 

North America 7 

United States 12 

New EngIvAnd States— 

Maine 17 

New Hampshire 23 

Vermont 29 

Massachusetts 34 

Connecticut 42 

Rhode Island 47 

Eastern States— 

New York , 5o 

Sketch of the Hudson River 62 

Pennsylvania 63 

New Jersey 74 

Delaware 81 

Maryland. 86 

Southern States — 

Virginia 03 

West Virginia 100 

North Carolinia 105 

South " I J, 

Georgia 121 

Florida , 1 ,0 

Mississippi. j^n 

Alabama 14c 

Lrouisiana 14^ 

'^exas 158 

Arkansas 172 

Tennessee 



177 

Kentucky 222 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Western States— page. 

Ohio 185 

Sketch of Ohio River 189 

Illinois 200 

Sketch of Illinois River 210 

Michigan 230 

Wisconsin ' 236 

Minnesota 242 

South Dakota 249 

North " 257 

Iowa 262 

Nebraska 267 

Kansas 270 

Missouri 274 

California ' 278 

Oregon 287 

Washington 294 

Montana 298 

Idaho . . 300 

Wyoming 302 

Nevada 305 

Utah 308 

Colorado 312 

Territories — 

New Mexico 317 

Arizona 320 

Indian 323 

Oklahoma 324 

Alaska 326 

Canada and Newfoundi^and 334 

Danish America, 340 

United States oe Mexico 347 

Centrai, America 355 



preface . 



A noted Western educator says : 

"A book of geographical materials containing detailed information 
on different topics needed, must be prepared for the teachers of the 
various grades." 

Such a book for advanced grades has been the Authors' aim to sup- 
ply. 

The Authors' intention is that the teacher is not alone the hearer oj 
recitations, but that these facts and other topics shall be presented by 
the teacher in the assignment of the lesson for subsequent recitation. 
If a teacher, why not teach pupils something ? 

In the belief that the results of our experience and fact-gathering 
may prove helpful to the amateur teacher we present the following 
lines of work : 

I. 
Blackboard outlines of the geography of each country studied, indi- 
cating the essential points to be fixed. 

II. 
Suggestive Key-words as indicators of supplementary work to be 
done by the pupils in works of reference ; thus teaching and training 
them how to search in the great store-house of accumulated knowl- 
edge. 

III. 
Queer Queries, a different form of stimulus to accomplish the same 
purpose. 



IV. 

Items of Interest, which have been gathered from many sources, 
will probably save the over-worked teacher much labor. The Authors 
do not claim originality ; only the compilation, abridgement and the 
thread that binds them are ours. 

V. 
• Review Topics. 

Reviews are necessary. The successful teacher uses a variety of 
methods in order to keep up the interest while the necessary number 
of repetitions are being made to fix the facts. The pupils should 
know that " Reviews are always in order." The teacher who neglects 
drills and frequent reviews, fails. 

VI. 
Sketches. 
A few sketches of some of the important localities are furnished. 
These should be drawn and re-drawn until they become ineffaceable 
mental pictures. 

VII. 
Tracing lessons and Trips form pleasing and profitable reviews 
which in addition teach the pupils the " unit)- of the whole earth." 

VIII. 
In the closing prefatory words of Trainer's "How to Study His- 
tory," we sa}^ : When you have tried the plans as eliminated in this 
book and are convinced of their success or failure, then, and not till 
then, condemn or commend the school-room product of 

YE PEDAGOGUES. 

Decatur, III., August, 1891. 



NORTH AMERICA. 



•g 

o 



1. Boundary, area and population. 

2. Coast lines — Directions, regularit}^ indenta- 

tions and projections. 

3. Surface, mountains, plateaus and plains. 

4. Oceans, seas, gulfs and bays. 

5. Lakes, salt and fresh water, 

6. Rivers. 

7. Islands. 

8. Climate. 



( Animal. 
9. Productions •< Vegetable. 
( Mineral, 

10. Political Divisions. 

1 1 . Cities. 

12. Races of people. 

13. Occupations. 

14. National wonders. 

North America is a great peninsula and forms the north- 
ern and larger part of the continent of America. 



NORTH AMERICA. 



The extremities 
are 



North — Cape Barrow, 71 24' N. Lat. 

East — St. John's, New Foundland, 52° 
3'W. Long. 

South — Isthmus of Panama, 9° 40' N. 
Lat. 

I West— Isle of Attoo, 187° 34' W. Long. 

On account of its more sakibrious chmate, its larger popu- 
lation, its greater wealth of all kinds, and its higher civili- 
zation it is much the more important of the two Americas. 

The fact that it is our home countr>^ lends an additional 
interest to its study. We should know thoroughly the geog- 
raphy of our own country and the principal facts about other 
lands. 

The " block method " spoken of on p. 10 of Vol. I can be 
profitabl}' used by pupils in written work in bounding the 
countries mentioned in this volume. 

Call the attention of the pupils to the general shape of the 
different continents. Lead them to see that North America 
agrees with the other continents in having a triangular 
shape. Lead them also to find the cause of the longest side 
being on the west in each of the Americas. 

Compare the two Americas in size, shape, indentations, 
rivers, lakes and climate. 

In extent the length of N. America is about 5,000 miles, 
and its greatest width is about 3,000 miles. Its area 
9,349,000 square miles, comprises about one-sixth of the dry 
land on earth. 

The pupils should be required to learn to name and lo- 



NORTH AMERICA. 



cate the principal natural features, as lakes, rivers, etc. , in 
the order given in the outline above. Only the important 
should be taken up noiv as we soon begin the study of each 
of its political divisions in detail. 

Lead the pupils to see that the principal part of North 
America is in the temperate zone, while the most of South 
America is in the torrid zone. Teach them of the influence 
of the ocean currents on the climate of the east and west 
coasts of North America, also the reason for the sterility of 
the great Rocky Mountain plateau, and for the slight rain- 
fall on the Pacific slope. 

While the animal and vegetable growths are not so luxuri- 
ant as in South America, the mineral wealth is far greater. 
North America possesses every variety of soil, and great 
plains of the most fertile character, so that agriculture is 
carried on extensively and profitably by the larger number 
of the inhabitants. Manufacturing, mining and commerce 
are next in importance.' 

Lead the pupils to see that the people who settled near 
the oceans and lakes naturally engaged in fishing, ship- 
building, manufacturing and commerce; those who settled 
in the forests engaged in hunting, trapping and lumbering; 
those on the prairies to tilling the soil, and those in the 
mountain regions to grazing, dair3/ing, quarrying and 
mining. 

The following little outline clipped from a school journal 
may be useful: 



10 



NORTH AMERICA. 



f Fishing. 
Of people living on the coast, j Commerce. 

I Ship-building. 
I^Manufact'in g. 



a 
a 

O 



Of people living in a moun- 
-{ tainous region. 



Of people living in a prairie j 
country. 



' Quarrying. 
Mining. 
Grazing. 
Dairying. 
Manufact'ing. 

Agriculture 
Grazing. 
Stock raising. 
Commerce. 



Of people living in a forest. 



C Hunting. 
} Trapping, 
t lyumbering. 



Day by day review interesting historical facts associated 
with the places studied. 

Have the pupils learn the characteristics of the principal 
classes of people inhabiting the different parts of North 
America. 



NORTH AMERICA. 



11 



COUNTRIES OF NORTH AMERICA. 

COMPARATIVE SIZE SHOWN BY DIAGRAM. 



United States, 3,600,000 sq. mi. 



Canada, 3,230,000 sq. mi. 



Danish America, 





Mexico, 






Cent. America, 






West 
Indies, 

94,000 
.'q. mi. 






I 


3o,ooo sq. m 


i. 




750,000 sq. mi. 





880,000 sq. mi. 



The pupils should be required occasionally to show the 
comparative size of the individual members of a group 
of states by the construction of similar diagrams. 



12 NORTH AMERICA. 



UNITED STATES. 



1. Boundar}'. 

2. Area and population. 

3. Gulfs and bays. 

4. Peninsulas and islands. 

f Atlantic Coast Plain. 
I Appalachian Highlands. 
I Mississippi Valley. 

5. Relief. ^ Rocky Mountain System. 

I Great Basin. 

I Sien-a Nevada Mountains. 

[ Pacific Coast Plain. 

6. Rivers. 

8. No. of States l^'Fi'-^'- 

( Now. 

9. Number of Territories. 

10. Form of Government. 

11. Climate. 

j Animal. 
T. -, • Ves^etable. 

12. Productions.^ Mineral. 

l^ Manufactured. 

13. Occupations. 

14. Education. I Common Schools. 
^ ( Higher. 

15. Natural Wonders. 

16. Religion. 



UNITED STATEvS. 13 



The United States is a federal republic situated between 
25° and 49° N. lyat, and (exclusive of Alaska) between 67° 
and 124° W. Long. Its greatest length from east to west is 
a little less than 3,000 miles and the greatest breadth is 
about 1,600 miles. It is the largest and most important of 
the divisions of North America. 

Its extent over 24° of latitude and its varied relief forms 
give it an almost unlimited variety of climate and pro- 
ductions. 

The Atlantic Coast Plain ranges from 50 to 200 miles in 
width, occupied mostly by the "Original Thirteen." The 
northern half of this plain is tolerably fertile. 

The Appalachian Mountain system is noted for its coal 
and iron mines and its forests. It comprises the following 
ranges and clusters — Alleghany, Blue Ridge, Catskill, Green 
and White Mountains. 

The Mississippi Valley is the largest and one of the most 
fertile plains in the world. It is said to be capable of sus- 
taining a population of 500,000,000 persons. 

In the quantity and quality of the food products of this 
fruitful region, this Mississippi Valley is without a success- 
ful rival. 

West of the Mississippi River the land gradually rises and 
diminishes in productiveness until we reach the Rocky 
Mountains — the backbone of North America. This moun- 
tain system has a base of over 1,000 miles in width, over 
which trend numerous ranges, all of which are in some way 
connected so that they form a comparatively unified whole. 



14 NORTH AMERICA. 



Many of the peaks tower above the snow line, below which 
they are clothed with forests of fir, pine and many varieties 
of deciduous trees. 

The scenery in many portions is noted either for its pict- 
uresque beauty or sublime grandeur. 

Among the places much visited and praised by tourists 
may be mentioned the Yellowstone National, North, Middle, 
South and San lyuis Parks; Colorado, Arkansas, Williams,' 
Kngleman's, Queen's, De Challez, Cheyenne, Cataract and 
Red canyons, each possessing a beauty peculiar to itself; 
Idaho, Colorado, Manitou, Cottonwood, Salida, Poncho, 
Deansburg, Soda, Heywood, Morrison and Hartsell Hot 
Springs; San I^uis, Yellowstone, Twin, South Park Salt, 
Palmer's, Green, Trout, Heart, Shoshone, lyewis, Madi- 
son, Jackson's and Fremont's Springs; Upper and Lower 
Yellowstone Falls, Seven Falls and Fountain Cascade; 
Cave of the Winds; Garden of the Gods; Glen Eyrie, Aus- 
tin's Glen, Blair Athol, Royal Gorge, Durango Cave 
Dwellings and Aztec Ruins, the Holbrook Petrified Forest, 
the numerous geysers of Yellowstone National Park and 
some of the more prominent peaks, especially Pike's Peak. 

The mineral wealth of this region is very great. The 
most important are gold, .silver, coal, iron and copper. 

The Great Basin lying between the Rocky Mountain 
system and the Sierra Nevada Mountains is a high and 
comparatively unproductive region. In some places, how- 
ever, where local irrigation is utilized, good crops are pro- 
duced. 



UNITED STATES. 15 



The characteristics of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and 
the Pacific Slope may be found under the topic California. 

Lead the pupils to see that the direction of the rivers (and 
many other things!) depend upon the relief of a country. 
Let the pupils write the names of the important rivers in five 
lists, as follows: 

I. Those flowing into the Atlantic. 2. Those flowing 
directly into the Gulf of Mexico. 3. The tributaries of 
the Mississippi. 4. Those flowing into the Pacific Ocean. 
5. All other rivers. 

The government is a republic, i. e. , the people choose, at 
regular intervals, the persons whose duty it becomes to make, 
execute or explain the law as the case may be. The 
government is thus naturally divided into three principal 
branches, as follows: 

. . ( Senate, 
i^egisiative. | House of Representatives. 

( President and 
Lxecutive. (subordinates. 

.... I Supreme Court and 
Judicial. y inferior courts. 

The government of each state is similar in character. 

The climate of the United States is temperate, but not so 
mild as that of the old world in the same latitudes. The in- 
fluence of the Japan current upon the climate of the Pacific 
Slope should be noted. 

The pupils can with little or no help make a list in outline 
form of at least ten of each of the kinds of productions. 



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16 NORTH AMERICA. 



The principal occupations should be named, the places of 
their greatest activity located, and the reason given for a 
specified occupation being carried on in a particular locality. 
It would be well to have the pupils make a list of some of 
the important inventions, and to name the occupations 
that have arisen because of said inventions. 

Under Education, teach the pupils how the common 
schools are supported and something of the machinery of 
school government. 

The various kinds of schools devoted to higher and special 
education should be named and briefly described. 

The following universities, colleges and seminaries should 
be located: Yale, Harvard, Bowdoin, Williams, Holyoke, 
Vassar, Cornell, Princeton, John Hopkins, Ann Arbor, lyC- 
land Standford, Jr. 

The principal natural wonders should be named and lo- 
cated; their description can be taken up under the respect- 
ive states. 

The great blessings of a fertile soil, a congenial climate, 
rich mines, extensive and valuable forests, man}' navigable 
rivers and commodious and safe harbors, beautiful lakes, 
grand scenery, free schools, freedom in religion, and of the 
republican form of government which we in the United 
States enjoy, should all be brought vividly before the pupils' 
minds. 



NEW ENGIvAND STATES. 



17 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 



MAINE 



CD 
<V 

X 
o 



[ Position. 



<D 



Boundary. 

Size and population compared with jour state. 

Atlantic Ocean. 






Lakes. 



Rivers. 



Bays. 



Islands. 



( Grand. 
J Chesuncook. 
I Moosehead. 
t Umbagog. 

fSt. John. 

St. Croix. 

Penobscot. 

Kennebec. 
^Androscoggin. 

^ Passamaquoddy. 
Frenchman's. 
Penobscot. 
Casco. 

r Moose. 

j Mt. Desert. 

( Isles of Shoals. 



Mountains. 



Mars Hill. 
Katahdin. 
Saddleback. 



NORTH AMERICA. 





r- 


• 
' Augusta. 
Portland. 




Bangor. 
Cities. < Lewiston. 
Bath. 


a5 




Rockland. 




Principe 


^ Eastport. 
il industries. - 


' Lumbering. 
Ship building. 
Manufacturing. 
Fisheries. 




( Agriculture. 


No^ 


rK: — To the left of the brace is found ist theabbrevia- 


tion of the State; 2nd, the date of admission as a State; 3rd, 


the nickname of the State; 4th, the nickname of the 


people 


t. 




KEY WORDS. 




I. Bowdoin. 




2 


New Sweden. 




3 


Alewives. 




4 


"100 Harbored Maine." 




5 


"Thunder Cave." 




6 


' ' Schooner Head. ' ' 




7 


"The Plumed Knight." 




8 


Ice Harv^ests. 




9 


Gum Gathering. 




10 


Menhaden. 




II 


"The Lumber State. " 




12 


' ' Down-easters. ' ' 




13 


Webster — Ashburton Treaty. 






14 


' ' Jumping-off place. ' ' 



NEW ENGIvAND vSTATES. 19 

QUERIES. 

1 . Who named New England ? 

2. What is the meaning of Chesuncook? Passama- 
quoddy ? Androscoggin ? Bangor ? Casco ? Katahdin ? 
Kennebec? Penobscot? Piscataqua? Umbagog? 

3. With what State was Maine connected until 1820? 

4. What city is the outlet for the commerce of the Great 
Lakes in the winter season ? 

5. Who are Maine's most noted authors ? 

6. What city is the second lumber market in the United 
States ? 

7. What is the eastern terminus of the Grand Trunk 
Railway ? 

8. Which city of Maine is noted for its sardine industry? 

9. What is the Motto of Maine ? 

10. Who founded the Youth's Companion? 

1 1 . What Indians still live in Maine ? 

12. Why is there so great a difference between the cli- 
mate of Northern and Southern Maine ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

Maine, the most north-eastern of the United States, has 
an area about equal to the rest of New England. It has 
immense forests of valuable woods; extensive and excellent 
quarries of good building stone; 2500 miles of sea coast with 
numerous good harbors; a great many lakes teeming with 
trout, salmon and other fish; an abundance of w^ater power 
in its rivers, and valuable fisheries along its coast. The 



20 NORTH AMERICA. 



short summers hinder agriculture somewhat, but the 
hardiest cereals and fruits are cultivated with profit. 

EASTPORT. 

Eastport, situated on Moose IvSland in Passamaquoddy 
Bay, is the most eastern town in the United States. It is 
connected with the mainland by a bridge. The city enjoys 
an extensive commerce with the neighboring British prov- 
inces. Owing to high tides its harbor, a good one, is never 
filled with ice. Fort Sullivan, situated on a prominence, 
defends the harbor. 

BANGOR. 

Bangor, at the head of navigation on the Penobscot, is 

one of the leading lumber markets of the United States. It 

is built on both banks of the Kenduskeag, which affords 

abundant water power that is utilized by numerous mills 

and factories. Power for the water works and also for 

manufacturing purposes, is secured by the erection of an 

immense and costly dam across the Penobscot just above 

the city. 

ROCKLAND. 

Rockland, noted for the manufacture and exportation of 

lime, excellent building granite, and for its ship building, 

is on the west shore of Penobscot Baj^, about ten miles 

from the ocean. It has a good harbor. Granite for the 

postofiices in New York and Cincinnati and for the St. 

Louis custom house was quarried here. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 21 

BATH. 

Bath, on the Kennebec River, a short distance from the 
ocean, is noted for its excellent harbor and for its extensive 
ship building. 

AUGUSTA. 

Augusta, the capital of Maine, on the right bank of the 
Kennebec, is at the head of sea navigation. It has a beauti- 
ful state house built of white granite. The manufacture of 
lumber is the most important industry. 

LEWISTON. 

Lewiston, on the Androscoggin, opposite Auburn, is an 
important manufacturing center. The falls in the river fur- 
nish the power b)- which many cotton and woolen mills are 
operated. 

Maine is midway between the Equator and the North 
Pole. It contains 1,700 lakes over one mile in area, besides 
many smaller ones. 

PORTLAND. 

Portland, the metropolis and principal commercial city of 
Maine, is built principally upon a peninsula that juts east- 
wardly into Casco Bay. It has a safe and capacious harbor, 
the entrances to wdiich are guarded by several forts. 

The canned provision trade and the manufacture of lum- 
ber and the various products of the foundry and machine 
shops are the principal industries. 

Capt. John Smith made the first summer trip to this region 
in 1614. 



22 NORTH AMERICA. 



He described Casco Bay as ' ' full of many great isles and 
harbors. " It is said to contain more islands than any other 
like space in the United States. 

In 1866, July 4th, a fire cracker started a fire which 
burned a space one and one-half by one and one-quarter miles 
square, 100,000 people were homeless and $10,000,000 of 
property was destroyed. 

HereH. W. Longfellow, N. P. Willis and '^ Fanny Fern '* 
were born. 

The Youth's Companion was first started in Portland. 

ANIMALS. 

The immense forests afford homes for the moose and cari- 
bou, deer, bear, wolf, catamount, coons, squirrels, beaver, 
sable, weasel and other wild animals. 

The birds are eagles, geese, ducks, hawks, owls, quails, etc. 

The salt water fish are cliiefly cod, mackerel, herring; 
the rivers and lakes contain salmon, trout, and pickerel. 

Maine does not lead in the production of lumber as form- 
erly, but she still cuts, sa"ws, and sells laths, shingles, clap- 
boards, shooks, palings, scantlings, boards, planks, ship 
timber, furniture and chair stock, carriage material and 
such like. 

Maine produces more lime than any other state except 
New York. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 



c3 " . O 

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rC3 



<u 

1^; 



NEW HAMPSHIRE. 

Position. 
Boundary. 

Size and population compared with your own 

state. 
Atlantic Ocean. 

Lakes. 



Rivers. 



Mount 'ns 



Cities. 



Principal 
Industries 

Products. 



f Winnipiseogee. 
I Connecticut. 

C Connecticut. 
I Merrimac. 
( Piscataqua. 

f White. 

I Mt. Washington. 

Concord. 

Manchester. 

Nashua. 

PortsmoutJi. 

Keene. 

Dover — 1623. 

f Manufacturing. 
I Agriculture. 

Name 10. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

5. Dartmouth. 



Hannah Dustin's Island. 
Old Man of the Mountain, 
Old Man's Washbowl. 
Lacoma. 

20. Tip Top House. 

21. The President's Range. 



24 NORTH AMERICA. 



22. The Flume. 

23. The Observatory. 

QUERIES. 

13. Why was the state so named? 

i4. What president was a native of New Hampshire? 

15. What is the meaning of Winnipiseogee? Relate the 
story of Hannah Dustin. 

16. In what wars did the people of New Hampshire par-, 
ticularly suffer? 

17. What Indians once lived in this state? 

18. What writer makes a summer resort 01 the Isles of 
Shoals? 

19. Who wrote many stories about the White Mountains? 

20. What great lexicographer born in New Hampshire? 

2 1 . How many miles of seacoast has New Hampshire? 

22. What Indian legend connected with Mt. Washington? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

New Hampshire, one of the "original thirteen," is too 
mountainous in most parts for agriculture: however, in the 
valleys and in the southern part it is conducted with profit. 
The great business of this state is manufacturing. The 
swiftly flowing rivers afford abundant water power. Be- 
sides one president, Daniel Webster, Salmon P. Chase and 
Horace Greeley were sons of New Hampshire 

PORTSMOUTH. 

Portsmouth, the only seaport of New Hampshire, has a 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 25 

safe harbor large enough to accommodate 2,000 ships. Even 
at low tide the water is deep enough for the largest vessels. 
The swiftly outflowing tides keep the harbor free from ice 
or sediment. 

The first warship (the North America) launched in Ameri- 
can waters was built here. 

A United States navy yard is established on Navy Island 
opposite Portsmouth, within the limits of Kittery, Maine. 

CONCORD. 

Concord, the capital of New Hampshire, on the Merri- 
niac, has important manufacturers of woven fabrics and 
carriages, and some excellent 'quarries of granite. 

MANCHESTER. 

Manchester, the metropolis of New Hampshire, is built 
on both sides of the Merrimac River, about 18 miles south 
of Concord. The Amoskeag Falls, 47 feet in height, furnish 
the power by which the great cotton and woolen mills are 
operated. The manufacture of steam engines, both station- 
ary and locomotive, is an important industry. 

NASHUA. 

This is also an extensive manufacturing town. The 
water power is derived from the Mine Falls, in the Nashua 
River, whence the water is conducted in a canal 3 miles in 
length. The fall of the water is about 36 feet. Besides the 
cotton and woolen factories, it has extensive iron works and 
manufactures edged tools. 



26 NORTH AMERICA. 



^A^^ITE mountains. 

The White Mountains consist of about 200 peaks in two 
principal groups on a plateau about 30 by 45 miles in ex- 
tent, lying- north of the center of New Hampshire. Of 
these peaks Mt. Washington is the highest, being 6,293 
above the sea level. 

On Mt. Washington a carrige road has been built to the 
summit on the east side and a railroad on the west. There 
are several buildings at the summit; among them is one 
used as a meteorological station b}^ the United States signal 
servdce. The grand and picturesque scenery of this region 
attracts many tourists every summer. The railroad is three 
miles in length, and has a rise of over 3,600 feet. 

The steepest grade is 1980 feet to one mile. The time 
occupied in making a round trip is about one and one-half 
hours. 

In addition to the ordinary rails for the road, is a third 
one between the others, a cog rail, in which works the 
strong cog wheel of the locomotive, which pushes one car 
ahead of it. There are brakes strong enough to hold the 
car on any portion of the track. No accidents of a serious 
nature have ever happened on this road. 

It is said thai 15,000 people visit Mt. Washington ever>^ 
year. 

The Summit House is a large hotel. 

For three months of the year, the Tip-Top House prints 
a daily paper called "Among the Clouds." 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 27 

The temperature on this peak is very changeable; for 
instance, on the 5th of February, 1871, a party of vScientific 
men recorded 59° Fahr. below zero, and two days later the 
themometer registeeed 62° above. Summer tourists are 
sometimes caught in severe snow storms on these moun- 
tains. 

MERRIMAC RIVER. 

The Merrimac River is especially noted for its manufac- 
tories. This river turns more spindles than any other in 
the world. One town alone makes cotton cloth enough to 
reach three times around the earth. A cotton factory is a 
very interesting place to visit. 

The cotton comes to the factory in bales. " In the spin- 
ning roomx it is made into thread by the spinning jenny. In 
the weaving room are long rows of looms in which the cloth 
is woven. The spindles turn, the looms move, the shuttles 
fly back and forth to form the web, without a. hand to 
touch them when once set in motion. If a thread breaks, 
the machinery stops itself until the thread is mended. 

It is not an unusual sight of an evening to see 1,000 
people, mostly boys and girls, leave a single factory. 

THE FIRST STRIKE. 

The first strike in America of which we have a record 
occurred at Dover, in 1827. 

Some oppressive act aroused the factory girls. They 
struck, and paraded the town with a band and an American 
flag. The mill owners quickly came to time. 



28 NORTH AMERICA. 



FORESTS. 

The principal forests are in the northern part and afford 
much timber, firewood, charcoal, maple sugar and tanners* 
bark. 

The hard [wood is used for furniture and wooden-ware 

makers' use. 

AGRICULTURE. 

Wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn and potatoes are produced. 
Hay is the most important crop of this state. 

Fruit raising is very profitable. 

The state offers encouragement to actual settlers on the 
abandoned lands. Dairy farming is profitable — milk is 
shipped by rail to the Boston market. 

MINERALS. 

Granite is extensively quarried in many places; it is used 
principally for building purposes. 

There is a fine soapstone quarry at Francestown. 

Some of the largest beryls ever known were found in New 
Hampshire. 

Iron ore is found in paying quantities. Tin, lead, gold, 
silver, zinc, mica and graphite are found here. 

LITERARY MEN. 

T. B. Aldrich— Poet. 

Edward Bellamy — Novelist. 

J. E. Worcester — Lexicographer. 

B. P. Shillaber — (Mrs. Partington) Humorist. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 



29 



Horace Greeley — ^Journalist, 
Charles E. Coffin — Journalist. 
Hosea Ballou — Religious Writer 
S. G. Drake — Historian. 
J. T. Fields— Essayist. 
Thos. W. Knox — Journalist. 
Daniel Webster — Statesman. 
Celia Thaxter. 
Edna Dean Proctor. 



VERMONT. 



60 



Position. 

Boundary. 

Lakes. 

Rivers. 

Mountains. 



j Champlain. 

( Memph rem agog. 

C Connecticut, 
-j Winooski. 
(otter Creek. 

( Green. 

■I Mt. Mansfield. 

( Killington Peak. 

Burlington. 
Montpelier. 
Rutland. 
St. Johnsbury. 
^ Bennington. 

r Animal 10. 
-j Vegetable 5. 
(Mineral 5. 

( Agricultural. 

Occupations. ^ S-g- 

Manufacturing. 



Cities. 



Products. 



1' 



BO NORTH AMERICA. 



KEY WORDS. 

24. Runaway Pond. 

25. Ethan Allen. 

26. Camel's Hump. 

27. Bellow's Falls. 

28. " Queen City of Vermont." 

29. "The Beech Seal." 

30. Sugar Camps. ' ' 

31. Stone Quarries. 

QUERIES. 

23. To what State does the Connecticut River belong? 

24. What is marble? 

25. What city is noted for the manufacture of weighing 
scales? 

26. In what does Vermont excel all other States? 

27. What kind offences are found in this State? 

28. What town in Vermont was raided by the Confeder- 
ates in 1864? 

29. How is stone sawed? 

30. How many cities in Vermont? 

31. What is a city? 

32. How much did Vermont pay for herself? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST, 

The mountainous parts of Vermont are valuable for their 
forests of trees, useful for lumber, fuel, tanner's bark, maple 
sugar, etc., for luxuriant pasturage on their slopes, and for 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 31 

their mineral wealth, consisting of excellent marble, rang- 
ing in color from pure white to black; iron, copper, build- 
ing slate, potter's clay and mineral springs of medicinal 
value. 

It has a number of beautiful lakes, and the rivers, though 
small, have a number of picturesque falls, and furnish con- 
siderable water power that is utilized in manufacturing a 
great variety of goods. 

Many valuable farms occupy the valleys and the western 
slopes of the lower mountain ranges. This State excels 
all others in the quantity and excellence of its maple syrup 
and sugar. Vermont is also noted for its highly reputed 
dairy products. 

CITIES. 

Burlington, the metropolis of Vermont, and one of the 
most important lumber markets in the United States, is 
beautifully situated on the eastern shoreof Lake Champlain, 
near the outlet of the Winooski river. It is built on a 
slope, reaching from the water's edge to the top of an emi- 
nence 300 feet high. Upon this eminence is situated the 
University of Vermont that was established the same year 
that Vermont was admitted to the United States. From 
this eminence one can obtain a view that is rarely equalled 
for its picturesque beauty. Looking westward one can see 
the whole city, the lake with numerous islands, and the 
Adirondacks in the distance. The city has an excellent 
harbor. 



32 NORTH AMERICA. 



Montpelier, the capital, is a small town on the Winooski 
river. 

Rutland, an important town on Otter Creek, is noted for 
the extensive quarries of superior white marble near it. 

Bennington is noted for the scene of Gen. Starks' victory- 
over the British. A monument now marks the battle ground. 
It also contains manufactories of porcelain and Parian ware. 

One of the most beautiful natural panoramas of the United 
States is presented to the view of the spectator from the 
summit of the Vermont University at Burlington. 

Lake Champlain is 600 feet deep and covers an area of 600 
square miles. The bottom of this lake is several hundred 
feet below the level of the sea. 

MAPLE SUGAR. 

Vermont produces about one-third of the annual maple 
sugar crop of the United States. The average crop is about 
12,000,000 pounds. 

The rock or shgar maple tree (Acer Saccharinum) is 
usually not as highly prized as its many merits deserve. 
Its symmetrical form, dense shade, and its great beauty 
when arrayed in the glory of its royal autumnal robes com- 
bine to make it one of the most desirable of shade trees. Its 
wood, next to hickory, is the most valuable for fuel, and for 
charcoal it is unexcelled. The wood being very hard and 
often having a curiously twisted grain, makes it valuable 
for furniture and interior finishing. 

The sugar season comes in the early spring, sometimes as 



N13W ENGLAND STATES. 33 

early as February. When frosty nights are followed by 
sunny, thawing days, the sap runs the most freely. 

An auger hole is made in the tree a few feet from the 
ground and a tube is inserted in the hole to convey the sap 
to a bucket attached to the tree to receive the sweet fluid. 
The sap is collected usually in a tank hauled upon a wagon 
or sled and conveyed to the sap house where it is boiled 
down to syrup or sugar as desired. Much of the Vermont 
sugar is used for home consumption. The people there 
use it to put in their coffee and to sweeten their cakes and 
pies. ' * Sugaring off' ' is the important epoch in sugar 
making, it is the completion of the process of reducing the 
sap to sugar, and cannot successfull}^ be acomplished ex- 
cept by the most experienced and skillful makers. A 
"sugaring bee," a young folks party, often attends a 
' ' sugaring off. ' ' The boys and girls of the neighborhood 
are invited and have a jolly time in all sorts of games, and 
in eating great quantities of the newly made sugar. 

The demand for maple syrup and sugar is so great that it 
is often adulterated. Very little pure maple syrup and sugar 
is to be obtained far from where it is made. 



34 



NORTH AMERICA. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 






t/2 

rC 00 



'Boundar3\ 
Atlantic Ocean. 

( Cape Coa. 
Ba3^s. \ Massachusetts. 

( Buzzards. 

r Connecticut. 
Rivers. < Merrimac. 

( Housatonic. 

( Ann. 
Capes. I Cod. 



Islands. 



Mount- 
ains. 



Cities. 



Manufactured < 
Products. 



i Nantucket. 
\ Martha's Vinej^ard 
( Elizabeth Islands. 
r Hoosac. 
\ Mt. Tom. 
( Mt. Holyoke. 
Boston. 
Lowell. 
Lawrence. 
Lynn. 
Salem. 
Cambridge. 
Plymouth. 
Worcester. 
Springfield. 
^ Holyoke. 

Cotton Goods. 
Woolen ' ' 
Boots and Shoes. 
Leather. 
Paper. 
Ironware. 
Machiner3^ 
Etc., etc. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 35 

KEY WORDS. 

32. " City of Notions. ' ' 

33. Norman's Woe. 

34. "The Paper City.' 

35. Suez of America. 

36. The Hub. 

37. Cradle of Liberty. 

■38. ' ' The City of Spindles. ' ' 

39. Oldest Town. 

40. The Neck. 

41. Bunker Hill Monument. 

42. Cape Cod Ship Canal. 

43. Harvard. 

44. Forefather's rock. 

45. "The Granite city. 

46. Hoosac Tunnel. 

QUERIES. 

33. Of what use are the lowlands of Cape Cod peninsula ? 

34. What became of the Boston Elm ? Tell its story. 

35. Where is there a noted school of natural science 
located ? 

36. What is "The Literary City of New England?" 

37. Who were the Puritans ? The Pilgrims? 

38. What city is noted for the manufacture of wire? Boots 
and shoes ? 

39. What is the chief fishing port of the United States ? 



36 NORTH AMERICA. 



40. Where is the largest leather market in United States? 
Largest watch factory ? 

41. What Presidents has Massachusetts furnished? What 
poets? Literary men? 

42. How is the landing place of the Pilgrims marked? 

43. Which city prohibited theaters for twenty-five years ? 

44. Where is the oldest house in the United States ? 

45. Where is there a rock thirty to forty tons weight that 
can be moved with your hand ? 

46. The citizens of what place have a peculiar dialect of 
their own ? 

47. Massachusetts boasts the second largest city not on 
navigable waters. Name the city. 

48. What city is called " The Manchester of America ? 

49. Are whales ever found in the waters off the North- 
east coast ? 

50. Where and when was the first state normal school 
established in the United States ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

At Stockbridge, Mass., is a place called the Ice Hole, 
where ice is found for the whole year. It is a narrow and 
deep ravine of great wildness, where the snow and ice 
accumulate to such a depth as to remain throughout the 
entire year. 

King Phillip's head stood upon a pole at Weymouth, 
Mass., until its wooden support rotted off. Read your 
histories for a full account of King Phillip's War. How 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 37 

he marked his route? What became of his wife and child- 
ren? How he was killed? 

The first tunneling machine was used upon the Hoosac 
tunnel in 1851. This tunnel is 24,416 feet in length, and 
passes entirely through the Hossac Mountains in Massachu- 
setts, on the Boston and Albany railroad. 

Southbridge, Mass., has the largest spectacle factory in 
the world. More than three-fourths of the gold spectacles 
and eye-glasses made in this country are made in South- 
bridge, one company alone in that town having turned out 
1,500,000 pairs last year. 

NEW BEDFORD. 

Counting the number of citizens, this town is perhaps the 
richest city in the United States. For fifty years past, its 
inhabitants have done half of the world's whale fishing. 
Most of the whalebone, whale and sperm oils comes from 
this port. Of late years, petroleum and cotton seed oil have 
caused this industry to decline. New Bedford can boast of 
one of the largest cotton factories in the world — The Wam- 
sutta Mills. 

SPRINGFIELD. 

Springfield is situated on the Connecticut river in Western 
Massachusetts. It is noted for it's fine buildings, library 
and manufactories. One of the principal features is the 
United States Arsenal. The grounds contain seventy- two 
acres of land surrounded by an iron fence. 

The Springfield rifles are widely known. 



38 NORTH AMERICA. 



Fire arms, cartridges, jewelery, railroad cars, buttons, 
paper collars, sewing machine needles, slippers, rubber goods, 
thimbles, spectacles, envelopes, and numerous other articles 
are manufactured here. 

Headquarters for Webster's dictionaries, and Milton, 
Bradley Co. , toy and kindergarten supplies are located here. 

HAVERHILL. 

Haverhill was named from the English town of the same 
name by Rev. John Ward in 1640. Many times the settle- 
ment suffered from Indian attacks. 

It is now noted for it's boot, shoe, and hat industries. It 
is the birth place of the ''Quaker Poet," John G. Whittier. 

The scene of "Snow Bound," is visited by many every 

year. 

WORCESTER. 

Worcester is located in one of the richest regions of New 
England. It is the second city in population in Massachu- 
setts. It is the seat of one of the five State Normal Schools, 
Military Academy, Worcester Academy, College of the Holy 
Cross, a Polytechnic School and Clark's University. It is 
sometimes known as the "Academic City." "Heart of the 
commonwealth" is given to it owing to its center location, 
and political importance. It's public library is one of the 
best in the United States. 

MINOT'S LEDGE LIGHTHOUSE. 

This lighthouse was built.by an appropriation of Congress 
in 1847. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 39 

It is octagonal in shape and 25 feet in diameter and is 
located over one mile from the land. In 1851 a terrific At- 
lantic storm totally destroyed this lighthouse, twisting off 
iron piles 10 inches in diameter. 

Congress again rebuilt this structure more strongly than 
ever, completing it in i860. 

The granite tower stands 88 feet high, 30 feet in diameter 
at the base. 

There are over 1000 light houses and lighted beacons under 
government control on the coasts of the United States, besides 
many bell and whistling buoys, and fog signals operated by 
steam, hot air and clock work. 

The United States has 10,000 miles of lighted sea and 
lake coast, exclusive ©f river lights. 

GLOUCESTER. 

Gloucester, the largest fishing port of the United 
States, is situated on the peninsula of Cape Ann, about 
thirty miles northeast ®f Boston. About 5,000 men and 
over 420 vessels are employed in the fisheries. 

It is also a noted summer resort, and is supplied with ex- 
cellent hotels and boarding houses. Coffin's beach, which is 
about two miles in length, is one of the finest on the Atlantic 
Coast. 

An excellent quality of granite is quarried and shipped 
from Gloucester. 

How should you pronounce Gloucester ? 



40 . NORTH AMERICA. 



We think Whittier had Gloucester in mind when he 
wrote: 

'• There we'll drop our lines, and gather 

Old Ocean's Treasures in, 
Where'er the mottled mackerel - 

Turns up a steel-dark fin; 
The sea's our field of harvest, 

Its scaly tribes our grain, 
We'll reap the teeming waters 

As at home they reap the plain." 

QUINCY. 

Quincy is picturesquely located near Quincy Bay, about 
eight miles south and east of Boston. It has long been 
famous for the excellent quality of the building granite 
furnished by its extensive quarries. The first quarry was 
opened in 1825 to get the material for building the Bunker 
Hill monument. In order to convey this stone from the 
quarry to the water's edge, a railroad four miles in length 
(including branches) was constructed in 1826. The sleep- 
ers, or ties as we call them, were made of stone, and laid 
8 feet apart; the rails were made of wood six inches thick 
and covered with strap iron % of an inch thick. This 
was the first railroad built on the western continent. 

The Adams Academ}^ a classical preparatory school, 
stands upon the site of the birth place of John Hancock, 
once governor of Massachusetts. 

Quincy was also the birth place and home of Presidents 



NEW ENGIvAND STATES. 41 

John Adams and John Quincy Adams. The town was 
originally called Braintree. 

HOW BANK NOTES ARE MADE. 

Everyone may not know that the government money is 
printed on paper made in Dalton, Mass., in a mill that ex- 
isted in colonial times. As the grayish pulp passes between 
heavy iron rollers, bits of red and blue silk are scattered 
over its surface. From the pulp room to the vault, where 
it is stored until shipped to Washington, it is guarded and 
watched as though it was gold. 

In small iron safes, like those used by the express com- 
panies, the paper is carried where it is used or stored away 
until needed. 

More than i,ooo persons are employed in the bureau of 
printing and engraving, in wetting, plate-printing, examin- 
ing, pressing, numbering, separating, binding, perforating 
the paper currency of our country. The plates and stamp 
dies are kept in vaults that require three men's time a 
quarter of an hour to open. The printing of bank notes 
requires twenty-two to twenty-four days, and during the 
process it passes through the hands of fifty-two workmen. 

NEWTON. 

Newton, for many years the home of Horace Mann, the 
noted educator, lies seven miles west of Boston. It contains 
the suburban homes of many wealthy business men of Bos- 
ton. Its schools are noted for their excellence. 



42 



NORTH AMERICA. 



The Lassell Female Seminary and the Baptist Theologi- 
cal Institution are located here. 

It was here that the famous BHot first preached to the 
Indians. The spot is marked by an appropriate monument. 

The items of interest just given are illustrative of what 
may be done with most of the places mentioned in the out- 
lines of the various states. 

The pupils' attention should be called to the scale of miles 
found on each good map in their text book, and also to the 
fact that few of the maps are drawn on the same scale. By 
use of the. scale the}^ should be required occasionally to find 
the distance between designated places. 







be 


B 


(i) 


+3 


B 

3 


m 


^ 


^ 


f3 




CJ 




-§ 




^ 



rH 


00 


C 


00 


o 


t^ 


O 


■^ 



CONNECTICUT. 

Position. 

Size. 

Atlantic Ocean. 

Long Island Sound. 

( Connecticut. 
Rivers < Housatonic. 
( Thames. 

Hoosac Mountains. 

Hartford. 
New Haven. 
Bridgeport. 
Cities. -{ Waterbury. 
Norwich. 
Willimantic. 
^ New London. 



NEW KNGIvAND STATEvS, 43 





KEYWORDS. 


58 


"City of Elms." 


59 


"The Rose of New England." 


60 


"Land of Steady Habits." 


61 


"Charter Oak." 


62 


"The Onion City." 


63 


"Horse Neck." 


64 


"Judge's Cave." 


65 


"Freestone State. 


66 


"Blue Laws." 



QUERIES. 

63. What Indian once lived in this state ? 

64. Where did P. T. Barnum live ? 

65. Which town manufactures the most brass buttons? 

66. What city manufactures the most fish hooks in the 
United States? 

67. What countries of Europe directly east of Connecticut? 

68. Where are the largest thread works in this country? 

69. Where was Tom Thumb's home? 

70. Do you know the stories concerning Israel Putnam ? 
Tell them to your class. 

7 1 . What city is called ' ' The Forest city of New Eng- 
land? 

THE OBLONG. 

The tract of land in the southwest corner of Connecticut 
formerly belonged to New York. Connecticut traded other 
land in Long Island Sound for this strip containing upwards 



44 NORTH AMERICA. 



of 60,000 acres of land. There are four towns situated 

thereon. 

HARTFORD. 

This city is situated fifty miles up the Connecticut River. 
It has a population of 50,000 and is the capital of nut- 
megdom. 

It is noted for its life, fire and accident insurance com- 
panies, for its book and printing establishments, for its li- 
braries, and for manufacturing industries. 

In the Historical rooms is the stump of Charter Oak; an 
arm chair has been made from this relic. In Hartford the 
first witch in America was executed. 

Mark Twain's home is here. 

Colt's Firearms Company is located in this city, their 
works cover 125 acres of ground. 

Hartford is sometimes known as the ' ' Queen City of New 

England." 

NORWICH. 

Norwich, one of the most thriving manufacturing towns 
of Connecticut, is mainly built upon an eminence between 
the Yantic and Shetucket rivers where they unite to form the 
Thames. The site of nine miles square was purchased for 
a company by Maj. John Mason, of the noted Indian chief 
Uncas and his two sons in 1659 for £^0. 

It is at the head of navigation on the Thames and has a 
commodious harbor. 

It has the largest paper mill in New England and the 
largest cotton mill but one in the United States. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 45 

The * * Falls ' ' on the Yantic about a mile above the 

Thames are about fifty feet in height, and afford abundant 

water-power, which is utilized by many factories of various 

kinds. 

NEW HAVEN. 

New Haven is pleasantly situated at the head of a bay 
opening into lyong Island Sound. Every thing here bears 
the impress of New England, the land of smart sayings 
and Yankee ingenuity. The center of the city is occupied 
by great trees and a grass-grown square. 

Yale University and accompanying college buildings are 
important factors to the city. 

The Candee rubber works — second in size in the U. S. — 
the Winchester rifle and ammunition factory, are located 
here. Oyster farming is extensively carried on, and Fair 
Haven oysters are regarded second to none on the Atlantic 
coast. 

This city is the home of many prominent scholars and 
writers of the present day. 

CONNECTICUT RIVER. 

This river is the outlet of Lake Connecticut in Northern 
New Hampshire. It forms the boundary line between Ver- 
mont and New Hampshire. It is 450 mile^in length and 
drains nearly 11,000 square miles of land. The Connecticut 
Valley is noted for its fertility and great beauty. The broad 
meadows, the bluffs and mountain terraces lend beauty to 
the scene. In an early day this valley witnessed many acts 



46 NORTH AMERICA. 



of Indian cruelty and the historical societies are rich in 
Indian legends and lore. 

LONG ISLAND SOUND. 

Long Island Sound is a portion of the ocean separating 
Long Island from the mainland. It is no miles in length 
and from 2 to 20 miles wide. The east end passage is called 
The Race. The west end is connected by a strait called Bast 
River and The Narrows with the New York Bay. Steam- 
boats plying along the coast pass through this sound. 

There are several lighthouses along the coast. 

BRIDGEPORT. 

Bridgeport, situated on Long Island Sound in the south- 
western part of Connecticut, is noted for the manufacture of 
sewing-machines, firearms and carriages. The Wheeler 
and Wilson and the Howe sewing machines are made here. 

Golden Hill, an eminence about 100 feet high, back of the 
cit}^ is the fashionable residence district and commands a 
beautiful view of the Sound. 

Bridgeport formerly was one of the most important sum- 
mer resorts. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 47 






RHODE ISLAND. 

rSize 
Atlantic Ocean. 
Narragansett Bay. 
Blackstone River. 

( Rhode Island. 



Islands. 



j Block. 






( Providence. 
Cities. } Newport. 

( Woonsocket. 

KKY words'. 

47. Roger Williams. 

48. Indian Rock. 

49. " Eden of America." 

50. ' ' Heroine of Newport. 

51. Lime Rock lyighthouse. 

52. Drum Rock. 

53. " Isle of Peace." 

54. Old Stone Mill. 

55. Perr3^'s Statue. 

56. Fort Adams. 

57. Spouting Head. 

QUERIES. 

5 1 . How were the streets of Providence named ? 

52. What state raises barely wheat enough for her people ? 

53. How many Rhode Islands could be made of your state ? 

54. Why has Rhode Island two capitals? 



48 NORTH AMERICA. 



55. What rebellion took place within the limits of this 
state ? 

56. Where was the first successful cotton mill established ? 

57. For what is Narragansett Bay noted ? 

58. What minerals are found in Rhode Island ? 

59. What is the state motto? 

60. New England has a great many "necks." What are 
necks ? 

6 1 . Which colony was the last of the original thirteen to 
ratify the constitution ? 

62. Which is the most densely populated state in the 

Union? 

BLOCK ISLAND. 

Block Island is a favorite resort for summer tourists. 

The dried codfish of this island are held in high repute. 

On the east side is a very large hotel and a good break- 
water, making an excellent harbor. 

Adrian Block built the first ship in America at Manhattan 
Island in 16 13, and in the C/nres^ sailed through Long Island 
Sound and discovered Block Island. 

PROVIDENCE. 

Providence was founded by Roger Williams, in 1636. 

This town surrounds a body of water nearly one mile in 
circumference, called " The Cove." 

The basin is enclosed by a granite wall, on top of which is 
an iron fence, and just beyond a boulevard eighty feet wide 
with shade trees on each side. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES. 49 

Brown's College is located here. 

Providence is celebrated for its jewelry manufactures. 
The Gorham silver factories are the largest in the world. 

The Providence trade in print calicoes is as great as any 
city in the United States. 

RHODE ISLAND. 

Rhode Island is situated in the Narragansett Bay. New- 
port, which was settled in early times, is the principal city. 
It is noted for being one of the most fashionable summer 
resorts. It contains relics of the Norsemen. The island 
affords excellent facilities for surf bathing and has much 
scenery that is picturesque and romantic. 

WOONSOCKET. 

Woonsocket is the business center of the Blackstone val- 
ley. It has many manufacturing interests and employs 
many thousands of workmen. 

Woonsocket has all the modern appliances for a city, ex- 
tensive waterworks, street car service, electric lights and 
fire alarms, free delivery of letters, a paid fire department, 
and a cottage system of hospitals. The most extensive 
woolen mills in the United States, and the largest rubber 
shoe factory in the world are located here. 



50 



NORTH AMERICA. 



EASTERN STATES 



NEW YORK. 




Population 


. 




Compar-ative size. 




Atlantic Ocean. 




New York 


Bay. 


^ 


Long Island Sound. 






' Ontario. 


ii^ 




Erie. 


rA 




Champlain. 






George. 


.S^ 


Lakes. < 


Oneida. 


S H 




Cayuga. 


WW 




Seneca. 


- : 




Chautauqua. 


< 




^ Otsego. 

' Hudson. 

Mohawk. 
St. Lawrence. 




Rivers. < 


Niagara. 
Genesee. 
Oswego. 
Delaware. 


>< 00 




^ Susquehanna 


. 00 


Canals. ' 

[ 


Erie, 
Champlain. 

' Long Island. 




Islands. < 


Staten. 
Bedloe's. 
^ Governor's. 



EASTERN STATEvS. 



51 







r 

Mt's. 


' Adirondack. 
Catskill. 
Highlands. 
Mt. Marcy. 


^ 


< 


Cities. 


' New York. 
Brooklyn. 
Albany. , 
Troy. 

West Point. 
Saratoga. 
Buffalo. 
Rochester. 
Syracuse. 
Utica. 
Klmira. 
Oswego. 






r Animal. 

t Manufactured. 




SUGGESTIVE KE^ 


I WORDS. 


67. 


Croton Aqueduct. 




68. 


Statue of Liberty. 




69. 


Elevated railroads. 




70. 


The Obelisk. 




71- 


The Battery. 




72. 


Palisades. 




73. 


"The Queen City of the L 


akes." 


74- 


'* The Military City." 




75- 


'•The Flour City." 




76. 


''The Salt City." 




77. 


The Toombs. 







52 NORTH AMERICA. 



78. United States Navy Yard. 

79. ' ' The Summer Resort. ' ' 

80. Castle Garden. 

81. Five Points. 

82. "The Twin Cities of America. 

83. ''The Empire City." 

84. Wall Street. 

85. Vassar College. 

86. ' ' The City of Churches. ' ' 

QUERIES. 

72. What is Hell Gate ? (Tell about the removal of the 
obstructions to commerce.) 

73. Describe a lock in a canal. 

74. What city was used as a Confederate prison ? 

75. What city is lighted by natural gas? 

76. By what names has New York been known ? 

77. Give the origin of the name New York. 

78. Tell the history connected with the "Half Moon." 
"Clermont." 

79. What. effect did the Erie Canal have upon this state? 

80. What is North River ? 

81. What city manufactures the most wheat starch in 
America ? 

82. Where is the busiest river in the world for its size ? 

83. What is the area of New York City ? Population ? 

84. How long is Long Island ? 

85. Where are the Thousand Isles ? For what noted? 



EASTERN STATES. 53 



86. Locate several mineral springs. 

87. What is a dry dock ? (Simpson's dry dock in Brook- 
lyn is the largest in the world.) Its use ? 

88. Who first found salt in New York? (The Indians 
manufactured salt for over fifty years. Now the wells are 
controlled partly by the state.) 

89. How do vessels sail from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario ? 

90. What lake of New York is tributary to the Gulf of 
Mexico ? 

91. Give names denoting Indian origin ? English? Dutch ? 

92. State the cause of the jog in the eastern boundary of 
New York ? 

93. Who is the wizard of Menlo Park ? 

94. How was the news of the completion of the Erie Canal 
telegraphed? 

95. Which city in the United States contains the largest 
church ? 

A TRIP ON THE HUDSON AND MOHAWK RIVERS. 

Instead of the usual "Items of Interest" we will take a 
trip down the noble Hudson and its principal tributary, the 
Mohawk, and note some of the facts about the important 
places we find. 

To begin at the source of the Hudson we shall have to go 
up to the picturesque Adirondacks, from whose rocky and 
forest clad sides the melting snows and numerous springs 
send impetuous brooklets of clear, cold water, that fret, foam 
and dash down their rocky beds, until reaching some natural 



54 NORTH AMERICA. 



depressions, they rest themselves in placid lakes before con- 
tinuing their journey down to the mighty ocean. A num- 
ber of small streams coming from these beautiful mountain 
lakes unite in Essex county and form the Hudson, which, as 
you know, was named after Henr>^ Hudson, the great navi- 
gator, who discovered it in 1609. From the summit of one 
of the many peaks of the Adirondacks we may get glimpses 
of the j ustly famous Lakes Champlain and George — celebrat- 
ed both for their wonderful beauty and their historical asso- 
ciations. 

The Adirondack region is dotted with beautiful lakes, 
grand mountain peaks and romantic glens. Mounts Marcy , 
Whiteface and Dix are the highest, all ranging near 5,000 
feet above sea level. 

There are three lakes on Mt. Wallface which send their 
waters into the iVtlantic by the Hudson, into the St. Law- 
rence by the Racket and into Lake Champlain by the 
Ausable. 

In this region, the deer, black bear, panther, wolf, wild- 
cat, lynx, and even the moose, besides great numbers of the 
smaller animals are 3^et found in the dense forests. 

Many varieties of trout are found in the lakes and streams. 

It is a fact worth mentioning that nearly all of the lakes 
of our country lie north of the southern boundary of New 
York, and no state excels New York in either the number 
or beauty of her lakes. 

Going southward a short distance and then making an 
abrupt sweep to the east the river brings us to Glenn's Falls, 



EASTERN vSTATES. 55 



where the river makes a descent of fift}^ feet, thus affording 
abundant water power. A fine quarry of black marble, and 
the picturesque scener}^ in the vicinity, are the onl}- note- 
worthy features. 

As we pass southward we leave Saratoga Springs to our 
right. At this place you remember, Burgoyne surrendered 
his arm}^ in 1777. 

On account of the medicinal properties of the mineral 
springs, this has become one of the most celebrated of the 
fashionable summer resorts. Of its magnificent hotels, several 
have accommodations for 1,000 guests apiece. 

We now come to the Hudson's principal tributary, the 
Mohawk, which has a southeasterh' course of about 175 
miles. 

Descending the Mohawk to the point where it changes 
its direction from south to southeast, we come to Rome, a 
thriving manufacturing town, built upon the site of old Fort 
Stanwix, of Revolutionary fame. 

Going further down the river, on the site of old Fort 
Schu3der, we reach Utica. Utica is built at the junction of 
the Erie and Chenango canals, and is devoted to manufact- 
uring and has some note as a shipping point for dairy 
products. 

About twenty miles further down, the Mohawk rushes 
through a narrow, rocky gorge, and descends over forty feet 
in less than a mile. This romantic place is called lyittle 
Falls. 

Further down, on a small tributary from the north, is lo- 



56 NORTH AMERICA. 



cated Gloversville, a prosperous town whose name is derived! 
from its leading industr}^ — the manufacture of gloves and! 
mittens. In this city and its neighbor, Johnstown, are made] 
two-thirds of the leather gloves and mittens manufactured 
in the United States. ] 

Passing on down the Mohawk, the next important town 
is Schenectady, a place engaged largel}^ in the manufacture 
of engines, vehicles, machinery, and ironware of various i 
kinds. Union Universit}^ one of the oldest in the state, is i 
located here. 

The terrible Indian massacres of 1 690 and 1 748 at Schen- 
ectady should be mentioned. 

We next arrive at Cohoes, a great cotton-cloth manufact- 
uring cit}^ situated at the junction of the Mohawk and 
Hudson. The Mohawk here descends about 100 feet, thus 
giving a great water power, which is utilized by the fac- 
tories. One-third of the hosiery of this country is made by 
the factories of Cohoes. 

Three miles below, we reach Troy, which manufactures 
more shirts, cuffs, collars, mathematical instruments and 
globes than any other place in tlie United States. 

The iron and steel manufacture is also a very important 
one. 

In the beautiful Oakwood cemetery of Troy are buried 
two major generals of the United States arm}^ — Geo. H. 
Thomas, "The Rock of Chicamauga," and John E. Wool. 
The monument to the memory of Gen. Wool is a stone obe- 



EASTERN STATES. 57 



lisk seventy-five feet in height, and is said to be the largest 
piece of granite quarried in the last 3,000 years. 

Six miles below Troy we come to Albany, the capital and 
one of the very oldest towns in the state. 

A bi-centennial celebration, held on July 22, 1886, com- 
memorated the two-hundredth anniversary of the granting of 
its charter. Among the old buildings, one of the oldest and 
most interesting in its historical associations, is the Schuyler 
mansion, where Washington, Franklin, Gates, Lafayette, 
Burgoyne (the latter a prisoner) were entertained. In this 
house Alexander Hamilton was married to a daughter of 
Gen. Schuyler, and in 1858 Ex-President Fillmore was 
married to the widow Mcintosh, who owned the mansion 
at that time. 

The capitol at Albany is, excepting the capitol at Wash- 
ington, the finest public building in America. It cost 
$20,000,000. 

Albany is the eastern terminus of the Erie canal. Its 
commercial activity began with the arrival of Robert Ful- 
ton's famous Clermont, in 1807. 

Traveling on toward the ocean we pass Catskill, a noted 
summer resort, and also a departing point for tourists bound 
for the picturesque Catskills region, a short distance east- 
ward. 

The next town of importance is the manufacturing town 
of Kingston, which has a romantic situation at the foot of 
the Catskill mountains. 

Continuing our journey, we arrive at Poughkeepsie, *'a 



58 NORTH AMERICA. 



safe and pleasant place, ' ' noted for its great cantilever bridge 
and for being the seat of Vassar College, the largest of 
the colleges for females in this country. It is said that in 
existing records, Poughkeepsie is spelled in forty- two different 
wa3'^s. 

A short distance southward, Fishkill and Newbury, on 
opposite sides of the river, are situated. Ferr^^ boats, of 
sufficient size to transfer a whole train of cars at a load, ply 
between the two towns. Newburj^ contains a famous stone 
house, which was occupied bj^ Washington, as his headquar- 
ters, during the closing 3'ears of the Revolution. It was 
from this place that he issued the proclamation disbanding 
the army. 

Four miles below Newburg is Cornwall, the most popular 
resort on the Hudson, and the former home of N. P. Willis 
and E. P. Roe, both well known American authors. 

Descending the river a short distance, we find West Point, 
famous for its history, its United States Military Academy 
and for its magnificent views. It is visited b}^ nian}^ tour- 
ists every summer. A monument to the memory of the 
patriot, Kosciusko, who s'lperintended the construction of the 
first defenses of West Point, was erected b}^ the cadets in 
1828. A visit here brings to mind the traitor, Arnold, and 
the unfortunate Andre. 

As we emerge from the justly celebrated Highlands we 
pass the village of Peekskill, and a few miles further we 
reach the historic Stony Point, which * ' Mad Anthony ' ' 
Wayne captured from the British without firing a shot. 



EASTERN STATES. 59 



From the limestone cliffs in this neighborhood great quan- 
tities of lime are obtained, and, a few miles below, at the 
village of Haverstraw, are immense brick-yards. The banks 
of clay are of a ver}^ valuable quality. In this village, on 
"Treason Hill," still stands the building in which Arnold 
and Andre met to negotiate for the betrayal of West Point. 
Before us lies Haverstraw Bay, an expansion of the river, 
that, below Croton Point, was dignified by the early set- 
tlers with the name of Tappan Zee (sea). This widening 
of the river extends about 12 miles, and in the widest part 
measures over three miles. 

Croton River, a small stream from which New York city 
gets her supply of water, enters from the left, near Croton 
Point. Six miles up the creek, a dam 250 feet long, 70 feet 
thick at the bottom and 40 feet high, causes an artificial 
lake, from which an aqueduct over 40 miles long carries the 
water into the city. The carrying capacity of the aqueduct 
is over 2,000,000 gallons per hour. 

Four miles below, on the left bank, is Sing Sing, " Stony 
Point," noted for having one of the largest of New York's 
state prisons. This prison, unlike many others, is not en- 
closed by high walls, but is guarded by armed sentinels. 

A little further dowii, on the same side of the river, is the 
hamlet of Sleep}- Hollov/, in whose vicinity are many spots 
immortalized in the writings of Washington Irving. 
Irving' s grave is here. The stone bridge mentioned in the 
ride of Ichabod Crane is still standing, as is also the old 
Dutch church, built in 1699. 



60 NORTH AMERICA. 



Just below is Tarry town, where Major Andre was cap- 
tured, and near which the scene of Irving' s story of Rip Van 
Winkle is laid. 

As we pass down the river here, our attention is attracted 
to the palisades, a wonderful line of precipitous stone walls, 
from 200 to 300 feet in height, extending for 20 miles 
along the west shore of the Hudson. These, with the other 
scenic features of the Hudson, caused it to receive the 
appellation, "Rhine of America." 

A short distance southward we arrive at Yonkers, a health- 
ful, suburban, residence town, adjoining New York cit3\ 

We are now approaching the largest city on the western 
continent and one of the largest in the world. It is built 
mainly on Manhattan Island, which is over thirteen miles 
long and over two miles wide in the widest portion. The 
city itself has a population of over 1,600,000, while, with 
Brooklyn, Jersey City, and other adjoining towns, which 
are really simply suburbs of New York, there is, within a 
circle of 20 miles, taking the City Hall as a center, a popu- 
lation of about 3,500,000. The island of Manhattan is 
bounded by the Hudson, East and Harlem rivers, and a 
short distance on the north by Spuj^ten Duyvel creek. 

As we reach the island, we first notice Riverside Park, 
where our beloved General Grant is buried. His magnifi- 
cent monument-tomb, which reaches 300 feet above the 
waters of the river, will long be admired and remembered 
as the grandest mausoleum ever erected by an enlightened 
people. 



EASTERN STATES. 61 



A little further down, and further inland, is that pride of 
every New Yorker, the Central Park. This park is over 
2 3^ miles long and over one-half a mile wide. It was for- 
merly (less than 40 years ago) a dreary waste of rubbish 
piles and scrubby thickets, and was dotted here and there 
with forlorn shanties of the most wretched sort. Since it 
was laid out, in 1858, over $15,000,000 has been expended 
upon its improvement, with a result of one of the largest 
and finest parks in the world. Among the attractive feat- 
ures are: s}^ miles of rides, g}4 miles of drives, 28 miles of 
walks, 3 lakes, 8 bridges, 38 tunnels, many picturesque 
rocky knolls, the Terrace, a ** sumptuous pile of light Albert- 
freestone masonry, with arcades and corridors, and rich 
carvings of birds and animals ;" the famous Bethesda foun- 
tain; a ball ground ; the Carrousel, a place fitted for the 
amusement of young children ; the ' ' Zoo, ' ' a menagerie ; 
the Belvedere, a tall Norman stone tower, and many monu- 
ments, among which may be named those of Scott, Shakes- 
peare, Burns, Fitz-Green Halleck, and the Beethoven Bust. 

Now we are in the midst of so many objects of interest 
that our modest little volume might be fairly filled with 
descriptions of the noteworthy buildings, etc. , to be found 
in New York and Brooklyn. We prefer, however, to leave 
the teacher here to make his own selection of the points of 
interest to present to his pupils. The field is so rich and so 
well known that no teacher needs our help here. 



62 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Lake Champlain 
Crown Point. 
Ticonderoga. 
Lake George. 
Adirondack Mts. 
Mt. Marcy. 
Hudson River. 




8. 


Glenn Falls. 


9- 


Saratoga. 


lO. 


Mohawk River 


II. 


Rome. 


12, 


Utica. 


13- 


Erie Canal. 


14. 


Little Falls. 


15. 


Gloversville. 


16. 


Johnstown. 


17- 


Schenectady, 


18. 


Great Falls. 


19- 


Cohoes. 


20. 


Troy. 


21. 


Albany. 


22. 


Catskill Mts. 


23- 


Catskill. 


24. 


Kingston. 


25- 


Poughkeepsie, 


26. 


Fishkill. 


27. 


Newburgh. 


28. 


Cornwall. 


29. 


West Point. 


30. 


Stony Point. 



31. Haverstraw. 
Tappan Zee. 
Croton Lake, 
Sing Sing. 
Sleep}- Hollow. 
Tarry town. 
Yonkers, 
Jersey City. 
New York. 
Brooklyn. 
Long Island. 
Long Island Sd, 
New York Bay 
Staten Island. 
The Narrows. 
Lower Bay. 
Atlantic Ocean, 



SKETCH OF THE HUDSON RIVER 



EASTERN STATES. 



63 



PENNSYLVANIA. 



o t^ 
M 






"Boundary. 
Comparative size. 
Lake Erie. 



Rivers. 



Moun'ns. 



Cities. 



Products. 



Delaware. 

Susquehanna. 

Juniata. 

Alleghany. 

Monongahela. 

Ohio. 

Alleghan3^ 
Blue Ridge. 
Chestnut Ridge. 

' Philadelphia. 
Harrisburg. 
Pittsburg. 
Alleghany. 
Reading. 
Erie. 

Animal. 

Vegetable. 

Mineral. 



Manufactures. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

87. The Quaker City. 

88. The City of Homes. 

89. The Smoky City. 

90. The Walking Purchase. 

91. Old State House. 

92. The Liberty Bell. 



64 NORTH AMKRICA. 



93. The Birmingham of America. 

94. Wyoming Valley. 

95. Valley Forge. 

96. The United States Cemetery. 

97. Mason and Dixon's I^ine. 

98. The Black Diamond State. 

99. Oil Regions. 
100. Coke Ovens. 

loi. Capitals of United States (3.) 

102. The Centennial. 

103. Serpentine Barrens. 

104. The Nickel Mines. 

105. Queen Esther's Rock. 

106. Penn's Elm. 

107. Johnstown Flood. 

QUKRRIES. 

96. Who are the Pennsylvania Dutch? 

97. What Indian tribes once lived in this state? 

98. Who was the Quaker King? 

99. Name the most famous document in Pennsylvania 
history. 

100. How were the streets of Philadelphia named ? 

10 1. What poet is known as the Quaker Poet ? 

102. Where is the most picturesque part of Pennsylvania? 

103. Where and how do railroad engines take water with- 
out slopping, i. e., "on the fly?" 

104. What do the people of northwestern Pennsylvania 
use for fuel? 



EASTERN STATES. ^5 



105. Who was Gertrude of Wyoming ? 

106. What have the authors and poets of this state written? 

107. Which cit}^ in our country produces the most hosiery? 

108. Which one exports the most coal ? 

109. Name the noted battlefields of Pennsylvania ? 

no. Which city ol the United States manufactures the 
most glassware ? 

111. How is coal oil transported in this country ? 

112. Look up the history of the Pennsylvania Whisky 
War. 

113. Can you repeat Penn's speech to the Indians and 
their reply? 

114. What names bear evidence of Indian origin? German? 

115. What college forbids ministers to enter its halls? 

ITKMS OF INTEREST. 
PENN'S ELM. 

At Kensington, within Philadelphia or its city limits, is a 
plain stone monument, which marks the site of Penn's Bl.m, 
under which the celebrated treaty was made. This oral 
treaty with the Indians, which neither he nor they ever 
violated, is the large white spot in American history of the 
dealings with the aboriginal owners of the land. It is said 
that " not a drop of Quaker blood was ever shed by an 
Indian." 

STATE HOUSE. 

Independence Hall was begun in 1729 and completed in 



NORTH AMERICA. 



1734, at a cost of $250,000. -This is a shrine of American 
Liberty! Here the noble men, who signed the Declaration 
of Independence, imperiled their lives, th-eir fortunes, and 
their honor. Who does not love to read the history of one's 
own native land ? Here many a poor fellow, wounded at 
Brandy wine, breathed his last. Here American prisoners, 
captured at Germantown, were confined. Here we find the 
old State House bell. Tell its story. 

THE TRIANGLE. 

Running due west, on the north boundary line would leave 
Pennsylvania without a lake harbor, and the early settlers, 
intelligent men, saw this. Three States claimed the right 
to dispose of this three-cornered piece of land. After some 
negotiations, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts 
surrendered their rights to the United States government. 
Pennsylvania paid the government about $150,000 in " Con- 
tinental certificates." Pennsylvania also paid the "Six 
Nations" $2,000 for their interests. 

PETROLEUM. 

Petroleum, or mineral oil, is thought to be like coal, of 
vegetable origin. Wells are bored, by means of steel drills, 
driven b}^ powerful machiner}^, often to great depths, before 
the oil reservoir is tapped. Sometimes the pressure of gas 
within the oil reservoir forces the petroleum to the surface, 
causing the wells to overflow. In others, the petroleum is 
pumped to the surface. To increase the suppl^^, a torpedo 



EASTERN STATES. 67 



of nitro-glycerine is exploded at the bottom of the well. 
In many instances reservoirs of highly eombustible gas are 
struck in forcing the wells. When ignited, this gas sends a 
lurid flame into the air, lighting the country for miles 
around. These wells often supply towns near them with 
fuel and light. Pittsburg saves 40,000,000 tons of coal 
annually by the use of gas. — Barnes. 

Get a piece of soft (bituminous) and hard (anthracite) coal 
and show the difference between them. Notice the difference 
in burning. Tell of the use of each. lyocate the regions 
containing each. 

DESCRIBE A COAL MINE. 

Take your pupils and visit one, and, experience proves, 
that it will be one of the pleasant and never to be forgot- 
ten lessons. 

The deepest coal mine in America is in Pottsville, Pa. 
The shaft is 1,576 feet deep. From its bottom, almost a 
third of a mile down, 200 cars, holding four tons each, are 
lifted every day. They are run upon a platform, and the 
whole weight of six tons is hoisted, at a speed that makes 
the head swim, the time occupied in shifting a full car being 
only a little more than a minute. The hoisting and lower- 
ing of men into coal mines is regulated by law in that State, 
and only ten can stand on a platform at once, under pen- 
alty of a heavy fine. 

THE BURNING MINE. 
The mines at Summit Hill, Pa., caught fire in 1832, and 



68 NORTH AMERICA. 



thousands upon thousands of dollars have been, and are 
being, expended, to extinguish the fire, but without any 
success. 

They will probably continue to burn until there is no coal 
left to feed the underground conflagration. 

The effects of the fire and the heat produced are visible at 
all points in this vicinity, and the mines are gradually, 
day by day, tumbling in, as the coal is burned away. No 
attention was paid to the fire at first, but it has gradually 
crept along, under the surface, until hundreds of valuable 
coal fields are now laid waste. 

DISCOVERY OF HARD COAL. 

Philip Ginter was, to the hills of the Lehigh Valley, what 
Rip Van Winkle was to the region along the Hudson. 
Philip was a tramp of the Mauch Chunk region, who was 
fonder of his gun and dog than of cleanliness and sobriety. 
One day, in 1791, he had been out on a hunting expedition, 
and, as usual, he had fallen asleep under a tree, when a rain 
awakened him. He rubbed his eyes, swore at his ill-luck, 
and started homeward. 

Amidst the rain and the approaching night, he felt for- 
saken, and, accidently stumbling, he displaced a number of 
black stones. 

Now Philip had heard of ' ' black stones that would 
burn," but supposed it to be a legend, or fairy story ; how- 
ever, being of an inquisitive turn of mind, he picked up a 
few specimens and carried them home. 



EASTERN STATES. 69 



Shortly afterwards he showed them to a friend, who took 
them to Philadelphia for an examination, where they were 
pronounced to be stone coal. A company of men determined 
to buy out Ginter, but Philip reasoned to himself that, if it 
was worth the sum they offered, it was worth more, and he 
refused their proposition. 

They intimated that others could find the same place, 
when Philip informed them, in Pennsylvania Dutch, they 
might hunt until doomsday, and they never would find it. 

Then they agreed to his proposal and gave him a tract of 
land along a stream, upon which he built a mill. 

Scarcely was the mill erected when it was ascertained that 
the title was worthless. 

MAUCH CHUNK. 

Mauch Chunk (Bear Mountain) lies in a mountain valley, 
on the Lehigh River, in the center of the hard coal region. 
Near by is Mount Pisgah, with its famous inclined plane 
and the Gravity Railroad to the coal mines. 

Near Mauch Chunk, in 1791, anthracite coal was dis- 
covered by Philip Ginter. The Centennial anniversary of 
the discovery of coal was celebrated here. 

Anthracite was first called "black stone," and experi- 
ments in Philadelphia asserted that it put out the fire. 

Thirty years expired ere the shipments were of great 
value. The mines are nine miles back from the river, and 
in 1827, a track was built for the cars to run down, of their 
own accord, hence the name Gravity Railroad. 



70 NORTH AMERICA. 



The cars were pulled back by mules, which were sent 

down on each train. • 

In 1844, the inclined plane was laid to the top of Mount 
Pisgah, on which a stationary engine does the work, formerly 
done by the mules, and then by a zigzag track, called the 
Switch Back, the cars reach the mines again. 

In case of an accident on the inclined plane, the cars are 
provided with brakes that will stop the cars, at any desired 
time, on any portion of the track. 

Mauch Chunk is one of the most picturesque places in 
America, and is visited by thousands of tourists every year. 

PITTSBURG. 

The Iron City is situated at the junction of the Alleghany 
and Monongahela rivers. 

The city is in the heart of the soft coal region, and the 
smoke from the foundries, factories, steamboats and dwell- 
ings settles over the valley, until the sun loses his brightness 
in the thick, sooty haze. 

By means of the Alleghany River, from the north, the 
product of the oil wells is shipped to Pittsburg. The crude 
petroleum passes through the refineries and then is exported. 

It is the greatest oil market in the world. Of late years 
the coal and oil industry has been checked by the discovery 
and use of gas, which is obtained by sinking wells from 600 
to 2,000 feet in depth. 

The gas is used extensively as fuel for the factories and 
for lighting and heating purposes. Millions of tons of coke 



EASTERN STATES. 71 



are handled here annually. Pittsburg ranks first in manu- 
facturing glassware, and in iron and steel industry. No 
other city compares with Pittsburg in the number and vari- 
ety of her factories. 

At the Fort Pitt Works are cast the big twenty-inch guns. 
The guns weigh sixty tons and cost $50,000, A ball for 
these cannon weighs over 1,000 lbs. 

The American Iron Works cover seventeen acres. 

They have an iron mine on I^ake Superior and a coal 
mine at their back door. They make nearly ever3''thing 
that can be made out of iron. They employ 2,500 workmen. 

The various nail works are well worth a visit. 

In some of them 1000 nails are made in a minute. 

Nails are made by a single blow of a machine, on cold iron, 
and the noise, once heard, will never be forgotten. 

The name recalls America's foremost champion m the 
English Parliament. Near here is the scene of Braddock's 
memorable defeat. 

Pittsburg has the largest ax factory in the world. It turns 
out 3,000 axes per day. 

PHILADELPHIA. 

The City of Brotherly I^ove is situated on a broad, fair 
stream, and deep enough to permit the large ocean vessels 
to approach its wharves. The bay below is large enough to 
accommodate all the fleets of the world. 

It enjoys all the advantages of a seaport. Its nearness to 
the iron and coal mines accounts for its extensive iron and 



72 NORTH AMERICA. 



Steel industries and other manufacturing interests, which 
exceed the shipping interests. 

It is the center of the greatest carpet manufactures in the 
United States. 

Philadelphia and New York control nearly all the export 
trade in petroleum. 

Terra-cotta ware is one of the noted productions of this 
city. In this vicinity are the largest and most important 
ship building yards in the United States. 

There are no tenement houses, owing to the building so- 
cieties, which enable and encourage the people to invest in 
homes of their own. Philadelphia retains more of the old 
customs, old houses and old laws, than any other city. The 
early Quaker settlers have stamped indelibly their traits of 
character upon these people. 

Among the interesting places are Independence Hall, in 
which the Declaration of Independence was signed; the 
United States Mint, the first in the country, and where most 
of our coin is made; the Bank of North America, the oldest 
in the United States; the United States Arsenal, the grounds 
of which cover sixty-two acres, where ammunition is manu- 
factured; the naval asylum, where army clothing is made; 
numerous schools, churches, and cemeteries, where many 
noted men are buried. 

Around Philadelphia cluster many scenes of historic note. 
The First and Second Continental Congress assembled here. 
It was the capital of the United States for ten years. 

The battles of Germantown and Brandy wine were fought 



EASTERN STATES. 73 



near the city. The first American flag, the stars and stripes, 
was made here by Mrs. Ross. A bi-centennial celebtation 
of the founding of the city was held in 1882, in which the 
ship Welcome arrived; a mimic Penn again visited the Blue 
Anchor, and made a treaty with the Indians. The Centen- 
nial Celebration of American Independence was observed by 
one of the world's largest gatherings. 

ERIE. 

Erie, built upon the site of the old French Fort, de la 
Presqu isle, is Pennsylvania's only lake part. It has a safe 
and commodious harbor — one of the best on the lakes. The 
harbor — four miles long and one mile wide — is protected by 
the island of Presque isle. The city has many manufactures 
and considerable commerce. Its position makes it the 
natural shipping point for large quantities of coal, lumber, 
iron and oil, furnished by northwestern Pennsylvania. 

It was here that Perry fitted out the fleet that won the 
Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 18-12. 

It contains a State Soldiers' Home and the finest church 
building (St. Peter's Cathedral) in the state. 



74 



NORTH AMERICA. 



NEW JERSEY. 

f Comparative size. 
Atlantic Ocean. 



a - — i 



C/J 



CJ 



Bays. 



Rivers. 



f New York. 
( Delaware. 

r Delaware. 
-s Hudson. 
( Passaic. 



Blue Ridge Mountains, 
capes. iX^.^^^-^- 



1- 


Cities. 


'Newark. 

Jersey City. 

Patterson. 

Trtnton. 

Camden. 
[Long Blanch. 


r 


f Vegetables. 
1 Fruits. 
Products. ^ Manufactures 
Fisheries. 
^ Commerce. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

io8. Cranberry Marshes, 

log. Gardens. 

no. Silk City of America. 

111. Peat Bogs. 

112. The Summer City by the Sea. 

113. Lead Pencils. 

114. Celluloid. 

1 15. Famous dueling ground. 



EASTERN STATES. 75 



QUERIES. 

1 1 6. Why was New Jersey so named ? 

117. What price was paid the Indians for the site of New- 
ark? 

118. Name the oldest town. 

119. What noted battles were fought in this State? 

1 20. Which town produces the most pottery and crockery ? 

121. What is marl ? Its use ? 

122. Where are locomotives manufactured ? 

123. What canals in this State ? 

124. What is a map ? Chart ? 

PORT JERVIS. 

At Port Jervis, he, who has a fancy for it, may, at lov/ 
water, stand on a rock in the river, with one foot in New 
York, the other in Pennsylvania, and touch with his hand 
New Jersey. 

CAMDEN. 

Camden is just opposite Philadelphia, on the Delaware 
River. It is noted for its shipyards, where some of the large 
American ships are built, and dry docks for repairing them. 
The principal nickel plate works in the United States are in 
this city. 

The steel pen manufactory of Esterbrook & Co. , is here. 

ATLANTIC CITY. 

Atlantic City is one of the most popular resorts on the 
Atlantic coast. It is 60 miles southeast of Philadelphia. 



76 NORTH AMERICA. 



The long avenues named after the oceans, and the streets 
from the various States, are all delightful drives. 

The physicians urge the advantage of Atlantic City as a 
winter resort equal with Florida and other warmer cHmes. 

It has been styled ' * The American Brighton, ' ' and its sea- 
sons attract both seekers for health and seekers for pleasure. 

One hundred hotels, besides many private cottages, can 
furnish accommodation to 40,000 people. 

JERSEY CITY. 

The site of this city was used as farming land by the 
Dutch for 150 3^ears. In 1802, Paulus Hook, as it was then 
called, contained one house and thirteen persons. 

In 1838 it was incorporated under the name of "Jersey 
City." 

This city, though in another State, is really an extension 
of New York city, and closely connected w^ith it, in more 
ways than one. The Morris canal, 13 lines of railroads, 
and 4 lines of ocean steamers terminate here. 

Its chief manufactories comprise watches, crucibles, glass, 
locomotives, lead pencils, machinery-, etc. There are brew- 
eries, foundries, sugar refineries, and large trade in coal and 
iron. 

It has a large and fine harbor. 

PRINCETON. 

Princeton is noted for being the seat of the New Jersey 
college, or what is more often called Princeton College, and 
the theological seminary of the Presbyterian church. 



EASTERN STATES. 77 



Nassau Hall was used as a hospital by both American 
and British troops during the revolutionary war. This col- 
lege has a very large refracting telescope. Its object glass 
is twenty-three inches in diameter. The cost was $26,000. 
Here General Washington gained a signal victory over the 
British and then retreated to Morristown. Here the conti- 
nental Congress assembled when compelled to flee from 
Philadelphia. 

SUMMER RESORTS. 

The Atlantic coast of New Jersey is famous for the num- 
ber of its seaside resorts. The New Jersey coast is celebrated 
for its many miles of beautiful beaches, which afford mag- 
nificent walks and drives. 

A great many large hotels are found along the beach at 
lyong Branch, Ocean Grove, Asbury Park, Atlantic City, 
Cape May, and other places. 

The bathing facilities, the races, the boat clubs and ath- 
letic sports and camp-meetings are some of the principal 
attractions. 

Many wealthy people of New York and Philadelphia have 
built summer cottages at these places and during the hot 
season their families reside here. 

SPANIARDS. 

After the downfall of Napoleon Bonaparte, his brother, then 
King of Spain, and his nephew, became desirous of locat- 
ing in this country, but were unable to own land owing to 
State Alien Laws. 



78 NORTH AMERICA. 



Application was made to several States for a special act of 
the legislature in order that they might become possessors 
of land. 

The New Jersey legislature granted their petition, and near 
Bordentown, Joseph Bonaparte bought land, upon which 
was built and elegantly furnished the finest house then in 
this country. 

It became the visiting center of the people from surround- 
ing States, callers being kindly received and royally treated. 

The Jersey people were tauntingl}^ spoken of 2i^ foreigners 
and Spa7iiards, inasmuch as the}^ had a King. 

NEVERSINK HIGHLANDS. 

These highlands have a post of honor among American 
Hills, the first to greet the eyes of the incoming mariner 
and the last to fade from the view of those who come and go 
from the New York harbor. 

On Beacon Hill is a double-towered lighthouse furnished 
with the best " Fresnel " lights. The light can be seen a 
distance of thirty- five miles, or as far as the altitude lowers 
the horizon. 

The government paid thirty thousand dollars to the French 
for this light. 

Many of the scenes of Cooper's "Water Witch" were 
laid in this locality. 

Near by was fought the memorable battle of Monmouth, 
of Revolutionary fame. 



EASTERN STATES. 79 



NEWARK. 

Newark, the chief city of New Jersey, is situated on the 
Passaic River, nine miles west of New York City. 

Its pleasant location, its extensive manufactories, its con- 
nection with the Lehigh Valley coal mines by the Morris 
canal, its many schools and churches, all make it an im- 
portant city. 

The manufacture of celluloid goods- is mostl}^ confined to 
this place. 

It is said that over 400 different manufacturers exist in 
this city, and no other city has contributed more useful in- 
ventions to the industrial world. 

Newark leads in trunk and valise making. 

There are several large sugar refineries here. 

East Newark, or Harrison, is on the opposite bank of the 
Passaic River and is noteworthy on account of the Clark 
Thread Works located there. The chimney of the Thread 
Vv^orks (335 feetj, is the highest in the United States. Dur- 
ing a thunder storm in March, 1890, it was struck by light- 
ning twice in the same place. As no provision had been 
made for ascending the chimney, it became quite a problem 
as to how the chimney could be ascended, inspected and re- 
paired. At last, a roofer named John Philips, ** Steeple 
Jack," of Newark, was engaged to make the ascent, which 
he did by fastening a great number of ladders, one above 
the other, to the side of the chimney by means of stout iron 
staples which he drove through the brickwork. The feat 



80 NORTH AMERICA. 



involved some original personal engineering and attracted 
considerable attention and many sightseers at the time. 

TIMBER MINES. 

In southern New Jersey along the Atlantic coast are the 
famous ' ' sea meadows, ' ' which extend inland nearly two 
miles. 

Farther inland, lagoons or salt water lakes are formed, in 
the vicinity of which are many marshes. Near Dennisville, 
cedar logs are found within a few feet of the surface of these 
marshes. 

Iron rods are pushed down until the logs are struck, when 
they are dug out and sawn into lumber and shingles. 

This industry furnishes scores of people in this part of 
New Jersey with profitable employment and has made com- 
fortable fortunes for many citizens. 

The fallen and submerged cedar forests of southern New 
Jersey were discovered first beneath the Dennisville swamps 
seventy-five years ago, and have been a source of constant 
interest to geologists and scientists ever since. There 
are standing at the present day no such enormous 
specimens of the cedar anywhere on the face of the globe as 
are found imbedded in the deep muck of the Dennisville 
swamps. Some of the trees have been uncovered measuring 
six feet in diameter, and trees four feet through are com- 
mon. Many of these were, perhaps, 2,000 years of age. 
They are in a fair state of preservation. 

Dennisville is the result of this industry. 



EASTERN STATES. 



81 



DELAWARE. 



"cd " . 

(5- 


" Size. 

Atlantic Ocean. 
Delaware Bay. 
Delaware River. 


Canal. 

Cape Henlopen. 




^.,. ( Wilmington. 
Cities. 1 j3^^^^ 


^ 00 

n 


f Fruit. 

^ , ^ J Grains. 
Products, i Qy3^^^^ 

[ Manufactures. 


SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 


ii6. '• Blue Hen's Chickens." 


117. Three lower counties on the Delaware 


118. Port of Entry. 


119. Peach Crop. 


120. Berries. 


121. The Breakwater. 


122. The Ice-breaker. 


123. New Sweden. 


124. Cypress Swamp. 


QUERIES. 


Of what 


is powder made ? 



125. 

126. Which is the most level state in the Union? 



82 NORTH AMERICA. 



127. What state still retain^ the whippingpost? 

128. What state is next to Rhode Island in size? 

129. With what state was Delaware connected for many- 
years ? 

1 30. How did the Brandy wine Creek receive its name? 

131. Where is the largest breakwater in the United States ? 

132. The Delaware River has an estuary. What is an 
estuary? 

133. Is Delaware entitled to a pember in the House of 
Representatives? 

CIRCLE BOUNDARY. 

It dates back to a singular deed made bj^ the Duke of 
York to William Penn, which reads thus: " August 24, 
1784, all that the town of New Castle, and all that tract 
of land within 'the compass or circle of twelve miles of the 
same." By Penn's charter the southern boundary of Penn- 
s^dvania was "by a circle drawn at twelve miles northward 
and westward, into the beginning of the 40° north latitude, 
and then west by a straight line. 

THE HARVEST OF WILLOWS. 

A curious harvest, do you say ? Yet during the spring 
months this harvest actually takes place in Delaware near 
the powder mills. 

The acid from the willow is used in the manufacture of 
gii II powder. 

The banks of the brooks and creeks are lined with wil- 
lows. The farmers are well paid for this kind of a crop — 



EASTERN STATES. 83 

they receive six to eight dollars per cord for the branches, 
the latter if the bark is removed. 

Young men among the farmers and mill hands, and young 
women from the factories, gather at some farm house for a 
night's pastime and sport. 

The shrewd farmer has the bark pealed and the young- 
sters enjoy themselves as well as at a "corn husking." 

WILMINGTON. 

The metropolis of Delaware, is twenty-eight miles south- 
west of Philadelphia, on the Brandywine creek. The 
Brandy wine has a fall of 1 20 feet within four miles of the 
city, and along its banks are extensive flour mills, the cele- 
brated powder mills, paper mills, rolling mills, watch fac- 
tories, morocco factories, car wheel works, pulp works, car 
shops and shipyards. Wilmington was the first city in this 
country to make iron ships. 

It excels in the production of carriages and passenger 
cars. The old Swede's Church, built in 1698, is still 
standing in a fair state of preservation. In the war of 
18 1 2, the powder works near Wilmington furnished the sole 
supply for the American army. 

BURIED CEDAR TIMBER. 

"We're all in the loggin' business," yet as far as the eye 
could reach not a tree could be seen standing that would 
even make the ghost of a fair log. " They ain't a gro win'," 
continued the man. " They're under ground. We dig for 



84 NORTH AMERICA. 



them, or spear them, as you might say. Here's the 
tool," and stepping into a low hut he brought out a crow- 
bar that, like everything else, seemed attenuated and was 
stretched out into a long, slender-pointed rod. "We wade 
along," continued the man, "and probe with this feeler, 
and when we strike a log we feel around, and if it's a good 
one we dig her up, and if it aint we let her soak ; that's 
about the way of it. ' ' 

"The secret of this business," said my friend, the geolo- 
gist, ' ' is that ages ago all this area was covered with a fine 
growth of large trees, and the same are found growing in some 
parts of the swamp yet, but they have died out and fallen 
down, and sunk into the soft mud, and so been covered up by 
mold and mud, until many other layers have grown over 
them; but in some remarkable way the wood is preserved, 
and these sunken ancient logs are j ust as good for shingles 
and other articles as they were when alive; hence for many 
years there had been a steady hunt for them. 

' 'The trees upon or near the surface are the only ones avail- 
able, and, fortunately, are the best, but far below there are 
probably myriads of others turned to stone, and representing 
the past geological ages of the earth. The logs are worked 
out by the men who are nicknamed ' Swampoodles, ' and 
who live in the malarious districts all their lives. When a 
log is found a ditch is made about it, into which the water 
soon flows. A great saw is then applied, and the roots re- 
moved, and, as a rule, the log will rise to the surface, and 
can be cut up and carried off, though in many localities the 



EASTERN STATES. 85 



vShingles are made right on the spot and dragged over the 
swamps on roads, in many cases, made of boughs and twigs. 
This curious business is not confined to New Jersey; but 
over in Delaware and Maryland there are similar swamps, 
where the shingle business has been carried on for 3'ears. 
One of the swamps in Delaware extends over twenty-five 
square miles, and hardly a house in Sussex County but 
what is shingled from the ancient deposit." — Cor. Philadel- 
phia Times, 



SET QUESTIONS, 

As the class advance they need reviews of various kinds. 
This device has been tried with good success. Place the 
* ' set' ' questions on the board and then assign each pupil a 
state to apply them by written work. Fill in the blanks. 

1 . The nickname of is state. 

2. The people of are called . 

3. The capital of is . 

4. The cities of are — . 

5. The metropolis of is . 

6. was admitted in . 

7. The products are . 

8. The rivers are . 



9. The noted men are . 

10. The curiosities are . 

Continue this work occasionally as the class progress. 



86 



NORTH AMERICA. 



MARYLAND. 



130 

131 
132 

133 
134 






tn 



<1) "^ 



^^ 



u 



«^ . 

J? CO 



' Comparative size. 
Atlantic Ocean. 
Chesapeake Bay. 

Rivers. | Potomac. 

( vSusquehanna. 

Mountains | ^^"^ P'"^^^' 
( Alleghen3^ 

r Baltimore. 

Cities. -j Annapolis. 

(. Frederick. 

r Animal. 
Products, -j Vegetable. 
(Mineral. 

District of Columbia. 

Washington. 

Georgetown. 

SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 



125. The Monumental City. 

126. Oyster Pungies. 

127. The Naval School. 

128. The Cardinal City. 

129. Baltimore Riot. 
First Telegram. 
Star Spangled Banner. 
The City of Magnificent Distances. 
Johns Hopkins University. 
Peabodv Institute. 



EASTERN STx\TES. 87 



QUERIES. 

134. Can oysters live in fresh water? 

135. What are spats ? 

136. What were "Conestoga wagons?" 

137. Are oysters planted ? 

138. What city of over 200,000 inhabitants cannot cast 
a vote for president ? 

139. Does the state receive a revenue from the oyster 
business ? 

140. How much seacoast has Mar^dand? 

141. What was I^ord Baltimore's real name? 

142. What historic incident occurred at Frederick? 

143. Where is Francis S. Key buried? 

144. What canal in Mar3dand ? 

145. What territories of United States have no county 
divisions ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

ANNAPOLIS. 

Annapolis, named after Queen Anne, is situated on the 
Severn River about two miles from Chesapeake Bay. It 
was formerly a port of entry and the center of considerable 
trade and commei^cial activity, now it is a quiet, old town, 
noted chiefly as the capital of the state, and for the presence 
of the United States Naval Academy. To this academy, 
boys from 15 to 18 years of age are admitted, after passing 
an examination both physical and mental, and receive four 
years' instruction in all branches of the naval profession, as 



88 NORTH AMERICA. 



well as in other studies. Extensive grounds are connected 
with the academj^ on which was recently built a naval hos- 
pital. Two sloops of war are used in the summer as train- 
ing ships. 

At the session of Congress at Annapolis, in 1783, Wash- 
ington surrendered his commission as commander-in-chief 
of the army. 

CRISFIELD AND WESTOVER. . 

The little town of Crisfield, on the southern part of the 
Maryland peninsula, is said to be "a town of oysters built 
on oyster shells." 

Maryland exceeds all other states in the gathering and 
shipping of the delicious and succulent bivalve. The oysters 
are gathered by means of dredges resembling large iron 
purses. The mouth of each purse consists of a pair of iron 
jaws, and the pocket of iron chain work. The dredges are 
dragged along by sail boats under full sail and raised every 
few moments to be emptied. From this little place alone, 
over 40,000 barrels of shell oysters, and 400,000 gallons of 
shucked oysters are shipped annually. 

Westover, sixteen miles north of Crisfield, is the center 
of another very important but far different industry — the 
raising and shipping of strawberries. More than 600,000 
baskets of the luscious red berries are shipped annually from 
this point. The Westover House, a grand old mansion, 
with an air of departed glory about it, still stands, a mute 
reminder of the bygone days of the ' ' American nobility. ' ' 



EASTERN STATES. 89 



BALTIMORE. 

Baltimore, named after Lord Baltimore, the founder of 
Maryland, is one of the three most important seaports on 
the Atlantic Coast of the United States. 

Its nearness to the coal, iron and oil regions give it a 
marked advantage over many of the other seaports. It is 
estimated that an ocean steamer can save about $2,000 on its 
coal bill in a single trip by starting from Baltimore instead 
of New York or Boston. The harbor is large, deep and 
safe. Fort McHenry guards the entrance to the port. It 
was when a prisoner on a British war-ship that with others 
was besieging Fort McHenry, that Francis S. Key wrote the 
famous " Star Spangled Banner," in 18 14. The principal 
industries are oyster packing, fruit canning, manufacture of 
cotton goods, exportation of coal, cotton, lumber, lard, fruit 
and provisions. The largest iron rolling mills in the 
United States are located here. Baltimore has many im- 
portant manufacturing industries. Among the notable in- 
stitutions' of the city are the Maryland Institution for the 
Blind, Sheppard Asylum for the Insane, Peabody Institution, 
Hopkins Hospital and the Johns Hopkins University. 

The city is supplied with water from Lake Roland, seven 
miles distant, by a system of water works, that are said to 
be the grandest in the world. 

Druid Hill, the noblest forest park in the United States, 
occupies 600 acres just north of the city. 



90 NORTH AMERICA. 



DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 

This territory originally contained lOO sections of land, 
situated on both sides of the Potomac River. 

The southern part, thirty-six square miles, was re-ceded to 
Virginia. It was named Columbia in honor of the dis- 
coverer of America. Washington and Georgetown are the 
only two cities. The district is under the control of the 
Federal Congress. There are man}^ fine public buildings, 
most of which will be mentioned under the subject Wash- 
ington. 

The National Soldiers' Home is two miles north of Wash- 
ington, and was built in 185 1 by the balance on hand of 
Gen. Scott's levied contributions in the Mexican War. 

WASHINGTON. 

The capital of our countr}^ is situated on the left bank of 
the Potomac, about 116 miles from its mouth, on the site 
chosen b}- our first president. 

It is regularly laid out, with the streets running due north 
and south, or east and west. It also has twenty-one ave- 
nues named after different states. 

The capitol is situated near the center of the city and 
faces east. The corner stone was laid by Gen. Washington, 
September 18, 1783. 

The building was burned by the British in 18 14. The 
entire length is 751 feet, and the extreme breadth is 384 feet. 
It is one of the most beautiful public buildings in the world. 

Pennsylvania Avenue is the great business street of the 



EASTERN vSTATES. 91 



city, and reaches from Rock Creek on the west, to the East 
Branch. 

Massachusetts Avenue is north of Pennsylvania Avenue, 
and is the handsomest in the city. Both of these avenues 
extend in a north-westerly and south-easterly direction. A 
noticeable fact about all the streets and avenues is their un- 
usual width. 

Among the principal buildings of the city, many of 
which are massive and beautiful structures, may be men- 
tioned the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum, 
the White House, State, War and Navy Departments, 
Naval Hospital, Pension Office, Patent Office, Postoffice 
Department, Soldiers' Home, etc.^ etc. 

A great many beautiful monuments of famous statesmen 
and soldiers adorn the numerous public squares and circles. 
. The Washington monument, completed in 1884, is 555 
feet in height and is called " the world's greatest cenotaph.' 
The foundation is eighty feet square and was begun thirty- 
six feet below the surface, resting upon the solid rock. 

The material used in the lower part is blue granite faced 
with crystal marble; in the upper part, white marble alone 
is used. A stairway leads to the top, as does also an elevator 
in the center. 

From its top we could see, to the southward across the 
river and about fifteen miles distant, Mt. Vernon, the for- 
mer home and present tomb of Washington. 

The Corcoran Art Gallery, open to the public free on 



92 NORTH AMERICA. 



Tuesdays, Thursda3^s and Saturdays, was given to the city 
by Wm. W. Corcoran, and is one of the best in the United 
States. 

It would take too much space in our little volume to give 
even a short description of each of the prominent public 
buildings. 

The city has a population of over 240,000. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 



93 



SOUTHERN STATES, 



VIRGINIA. 



O ^ . 
G (V 

P pq 

o 



TOO 



IvOcation. 
Atlantic Ocean. 
Chesapeake Bay. 
Drummond Lake. 
Dismal Swamp. 

f Potomac. 



Rivers. 



Capes. 



Mount- 
ains. 



Cities. 



Prod'ts. < 



I James. 
Shenandoah. 



i York. 



I Rappahannock. 
L Tennessee. 

I Charles. 
( Henry. 

r Blue Ridge. 
J Allegheny. 
j Cumberland. 
t Peaks of Otter. 

f Richmond. 
J Petersburg. 
1 Norfolk. 
l^ Lynchburg. 

f Animal. 
Vegetable 
Mineral. 
Manufactured. 



94 NORTH AMERICA. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

135. " Mother of Presidents. ' ' 

136. "The Wilderness." 

137. Chickahominy Swamp. 

1 38. " The tomb of the Unknown. ' ' 

139. Mt. Vernon. 

140. United States Nav}^ Yard. 

141. "The Garden of Virginia." 

142. The Peninsula. 

143. * ' The Antiparos of Virginia. ' ' 

144. Piedmont District. 

145. '* The Hamburg Massacre." 

1 46. "Old Point Comfort. ' ' 

147. Noted Battlefields. 

148. " Father of Universit}- of Virginia .* ' 

149. " River of Swans. ' ' 

150. .The Natural Bridge. 

151. Hampton Roads. 

152. " Rome of the South." 

153. "The Father of Virginia." 

154. " L,ady Rebecca." 

155. The Salt Pond. 

156. " Tide Water Section. " 

157. " Readjust ers." 

158. "The Uord of the Roanoke." 

159. "Uncle Robert " 

160. The Dismal Swamp. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 95 



1 6 1 . " Virginia L,eaf. ' ' 

162. " Sage of Montecello." 

QUERIES. 

146. Who wrote "Dred " or "Tale of the Dismal Swamp"? 

147. What Governor once said, *'I thank God there are 
no free schools nor printing, and I hope we shall have none 
these hundred years. ' ' 

148. What religion was once established by law? 

149. How many states have been formed from what wa^ 
once Virginia? 

1 50. Name ten noted Virginians. 

151. Who wrote a novel called "The Virginians"? 

152. Where are two presidents buried within ten yards of 
each other ? 

153. What great man made his home at Arlington 
Heights ? 

154. How do steamboats show respect to Washington 
when passing his grave ? 

155. Was Washington' s old home or grave desecrated dur- 
ing the Civil War ? 

156. Of what state was Illinois once a county ? 

157. What Virginian was the first governor of Illinois? 

158. Who wrote "Sheridan's Ride "? Locate the scene. 

159. Name five authors of Virginia, and what each wrote. 
I Go. Where w^as Libbv Prison located ? For what noted ? 

Where now ? 

161. Where is Fort Monroe ? What noted prisoners have 
been confined there ? 



96 NORTH AMERICA. 



162. Who were the seven presidents, natives of Virginia ? 

163. Who was the lad noted for his exploit at the Natural 
Bridge ? 

164. What is the motto of Virginia ? What does it mean? 
What were the Virginia Resolutions of '98 ? Who drafted 
them? (Jefferson.) 

165. At what place are men trained for the Signal Service 
and Weather Bureau ? 

166. Which one of Virginia's noted men held the office ot 
Chief Justice and Secretar}^ of State at the same time ? 

167. What Indians lived in Virginia? What became of 
them ? 

J 68. What eccentric Virginian desired not to be buried 
within one mile of any church ? 

ITEMS OF INTERKST. 

The forests of Virginia are extensive and very valuable. 

Almost all known varieties of trees of this latitude may 
be foui.d here. 

Virginia has ninet}- -nine counties and the names are con- 
stant reminders of Old England. 

Virginia contains many vSprings noted for their medicinal 
effect. The most noted are Buffalo Lithia, Sweet Chaly- 
beate, Bath Alum, White and Yellow Sulphur, etc. 

The Natural Bridge is 215 feet high. How much higher 
than Niagara Falls? 

Marble is quarried on the banks of the Potomac. 

Virginia ranks first in raising peanuts, and second in 
tobacco. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 97 

The Oyster beds in the tide region are "mines" of great 
wealth, and the fisheries are important. 

Jump Mountain is so named in remembrance of an Indian 
maiden who jumped from a cliff when she saw her lover 
killed in a battle between the Cherokees and Shawnees. 

Gold, iron, copper, lead, zinc, coal, salt, granite, marble, 
freestone, gypsum, glass-sand, and clays are some of the 
minerals of Virginia. 

Lexington is the seat of Washington and Lee University, 
also Virginia Military Institute. Here General Robert E. 
Lee breathed his last, and Stonewall Jackson rests in the old 
church yard. 

Blowing Cave is another curious freak of nature. In the 
winter a current of cold air rushes into the cave and during 
hot weather the cold current is emitted. Why is this ? 

There are numerous sandstone quarries throughout the 
state. 

The State Institutions are the penitentiary, three Insane 
Asylums, the one at Williamsburg, established in 1773, is 
the oldest in the United States, Deaf, Dumb, and Blind 
Institutes, Virginia Military Institute, Agricultural and 
Mechanical College and Normal Schools for blacks and 
whites. Norfolk is the principal naval station of the United 
States, and near Norfolk is a Navy Yard also. Hampton 
Roads is considered the best harbor along the Atlantic coast. 

Virginia is one of the most picturesque states of the Union. 
From the Peaks of Otter the ocean can be seen. The Nat- 



98 NORTH AMERICA. 



ural Towers, Bolivar Heights, Anvil Cliffs, and Purgatory 
Falls on Roanoke River, are other mountain scenes. 

Richmond is noted for many scenes of the past. Aaron 
Burr was tried here ; LaFayette was received by his officers 
here ; ''Stonewall" Jackson lay in state here with a Confed- 
erate flag for his pall ; here, in the ' ' Old Church "(St. John), 
Patrick Henry uttered his stirring words ; here Lincoln held 
a reception in Jefferson Davis's Parlors. Some of the noted 
buildings are the City Hall, Custom House, Governor's 
Mansion, State Armor}^, Penitentiary, Medical College, and 
various factories, mills, and machine shops. The city con- 
tains statues of Washington ; Henr}^ delivering an address; 
Jefferson, pen in hand ; Marshall, stern and firm ; General 
Andrew I^ewis, the pioneer. 

Virginia contains seventeen National Cemeteries cared for 
by salaried superintendents who are under Government In- 
spectors, Any neglect is promptly reported. A headstone 
marks every grave ; the walks are graveled ; shade trees and 
flowers beautify the last resting place of the Nation's dead. 

Weyer's Cave is next to the Mammouth Caves of Ken- 
tuck}' ; it has been called "The Antiparos of Virginia ;" it 
was named after Bernard Wej^er. The different parts of the 
cave bear names descriptive of each, viz.: Ghost Chamber, 
Cathedral, Anthony's Pillar, Jacob's Ladder, The Bottom- 
less Pit, Oyster Shell, The Tower of Babel, and many 
others. 

Near Richmond, in the James River, are the so called 
Falls, really only rapids, inclosing a number of small islands. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 99 

The largest of these islands and the most widely known is 
Belle Isle, which was one of the prisons for Federals during 
the Civil War. It is visited by many people every year. 

Harper's Ferry, of ^ John Brown fame," is located where 
the Potomac breaks through the Blue Ridge, and the mouth 
of the Shenandoah River. Jefferson said the scene was 
worth a trip across the ocean to witness. It was named 
after Harper, of Oxford, England, in 1723. 

At Hampton is a Government School for Indians. An 
effort is made to teach Indian girls to sew, and the boys to 
farm or learn a trade. The scheme is only a partial success. 
The writer is personally acquainted with several Sioux 
Indians who have received instructions in these eastern 
schools. 

The College of William and Mary is near Williamsburg, 
the old capitol of Virginia. Next to Harvard, this is the 
oldest college in the United States, and in 1776 it was the 
wealthiest in America. It was used by the French and 
Americans in the Revolutionary war, and as a hospital and 
barracks in the Civil war. Some of the noted graduates are 
Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, John Mar- 
shall, Peyton and John Randolph, and Winlield Scott. 

"The Ladies' Mount Vernon Association" now own 
Washington's Old Home and 200 acres of land. It was 
purchased for $200,000, in 1858, and their design is to keep 
it as a place of public resort and pilgrimage. The library 
and bed room remain the same as when they were last used 
by Washington. The barn is 140 years old. The well with 



100 



NORTH AMERICA. 



rope and pulle}^ the covered wal^s, the slave kitchens, the 
slave quarters, and the crane in the chimney are still to be 
seen by visitors. In 1876 Dom Pedro, of Brazil, officiated in 
beautifying the new Grave by planting trees around it. 
The old church where Washington worshiped in Alexandria 
still stands. A family resides in the back part, who keeps 
it in repair and open for visitors at the moderate charge of 
five cents. 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



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Size. 



Rivers. 



Ohio. 
Kanawha. 
Big Sandy. 
^ Monongahela. 

Allegheny Mountains. 

Wheeling. 



Cities. 



Products. 



Charleston. 
Parkersburg. 
Harper's Ferry. 

f Vegetables. 
I Minerals. 



suggestive; key words. 

163. Baden-Baden of America. 

164. John Brown. 

165. Saratoga of the South. 

166. Gas wells. 

167. Pineries. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 101 

OUERIKS. 

169. Why was West Virginia so named? 

170. What is Rock Salt ? 

171. Of what use is Rock Salt ? 

172. Name five uses of salt. 

173. How deep is the well at Wheeling? 

174. What is the State Motto ? 

175. What battles of the Civil War were fought in this 
State? 

1 76. Where was John Brown hung ? 

177. In what does West Virginia excel other States? 

CAPON SPRINGS AND BATHS. 

These springs are located in Hampshire Co,, and have a 
temperature of 65° Fahr. 

These waters are charged with carbonic acid gas, and are 
used both externally and internally. There are ample hotel 
accommodations, with plunge, shower, douche, and warm 
bath establishments. 

Capon Springs is pleasantly situated in the mountains, 
surrounded by picturesque scenery. 

These baths will compare very favorably with those of 
Europe. 

PICTURED ROCKS. 

These famous rocks are in Grant County, West Virginia, 
along the road known as the Evansville pike. They have 
been a source of wonder ever since they were first discov- 



102 NORTH AMERICA. 



ered by white men, over a century and a half ago. They 
are on the face of a large cliff, situated near the road. The 
rock is a white sandstone, which wears very slightly from 
exposure to the weather, and upon its smooth surface are 
delineated outlines of at least fifty species of animals, birds, 
reptiles, and fish, embracing in the number panthers, deer, 
buffaloes, otters, beavers, wildcats, foxes, wolves, raccoons, 
opossums, bears, elk, crows, eagles, turkeys, eels, various 
sorts of fish, large and small snakes, etc. In the midst of 
this silent menagerie of specimens of the animal kingdom, 
is a full length of a female form, beautiful and perfect in 
every respect. Interspersed among the drawings of ani- 
mals, etc., are imitations of the footprints of each sort, the 
whole space occupied being 150 feet long by fifty wide. It 
is believed that these figures were engraved many ages ago, 
but it can not be even conjectured to what race the artist 
belonged, and how he made these remarkable drawings is 
quite as much of a mj'stery. — Inter-Ocean. 

SALT. 

West Virginia has important saline industries. 

The Great Kanawha Valley is particularly noted. 

The wells vary in depth from 30 to 1500 feet. 

Salt is obtained mostly by evaporation ; first by the heat 
of the sun ; second by artificial heat ; third by condensation 
by cold then boiling ; and fourth by mining. 

An entertaining diversion to the regular lesson would be 
to read, a full account of some noted salt works. Nearly 



SOUTHERN STATES. 103 

every j^ear some of the illustrated papers contain articles on 
this and other fruitful subjects for school work. 

WHEELING. 

The metropolis of West Virginia, is on the east side of 
the Ohio river, in the Panhandle. It has an extensive river 
trade. 

Its nearness to the coal mines and iron deposits, makes it 
an important fron manufacturing city. There are over half- 
a dozen large glass factories and as many nail mills. 

Foundries, machine shops, rolling mills, etc., are on all 
sides. There is an island in the river, about one mile in 
length, connected by bridges to the main city. One -of the 
deepest wells in the United States is located here. 

Wheeling makes more cigars than all other cities of West 
Virginia. The National Road crosses the Ohio river at this 
place. It was the scene of McCullough's leap from the 
Indians. 

PARKERSBURG. 

This town is in the midst of hills, valleys and river bluffs, 
as broken as can be found anywhere. There are large oil 
refineries here and other numerous industries, in iron and 
timber. 

Flour mills, tobacco factories, etc. , make this a busy and 
thriving town. 



104 NORTH AMERICA. 



HARPER'S FERRY. 

Here the Potomac breaks through the Blue Ridge and 
makes a most magnificent scene. The Baltimore and Ohio 
Railroad crosses the Potomac at this place. 

Before the Civil War it was the seat of a U. S. armory 
and arsenal. John Brown gave the place some notoriety. 
Gen. Jackson captured the town and ii,ooo Union men in 
1862. The town has never recovered from the effects of 
the war. 

On the opposite side of the river stand Maryland Heights, 
and over the Shenandoah are Loudon Heights, while back 
of the town are Bolivar Heights. The place was named 
from one Harper, of England, who established a ferry here 
at an early day. 

PICTURESQUE PLACES. 

Ice Mountain, where there is a famous natural ice house. 
Chimney Rocks, which look like the ruins of some ancient 
castle. Karr's Pinnacles, which bear resemblances to the 
obelisks of the old world. 

They are in the neighborhood of 200 feet high, with a 
width from 10 to 5 feet. 

Cathedral rock, which receives its name from the fancied 
resemblance to a Gothic church. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 105 



NORTH CAROLINIA. 

Comparative size. 
Atlantic Ocean. 



Sounds. 



Albemarle. 
Pamlico. 



S . C Roanoke. 

g 'a^ Rivers. < Neuse. 

•j3 'ol ( Cape Fear. 

Q, ^ Dismal Swamp. 

f^ Mountains. {An.ghe„y^_ 



Peaks. 



f Black Dome. 
I Mitchell's. 

C Hatteras. 
Capes. < Fear. 

( Lookout. 

f Raleigh. 

Pities J Wilmington. 

L-ities. < ^^^ g^j.j^g^ 

^ S t Fayetteville. 

^ *^ C Animal. 

Products. } Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 

SUGGKSTIVE KKY WORDS. 

i68. Pine Barrels. 

169. Old North State. 

170. Little Dismal Swamp. 

171. Lost Colony of the Roanoke, 



106 NORTH AMERICA. 



172. Tar State. ' 

173. Tuck-a-hoes. 

174. City of Oaks. 

175. Mechlenburg Declaration. 

176. lyord of the Roanoke. 

177. Land of the 'Sk3\ 

QUERIES. 

178. What noted swamps in this State ? 

179. Where were the militarj^ prisons of the Civil War 
located ? 

1 80. Who were the Regulators ? 

181. What is the highest peak of the Appalachian sys- 
tem? 

182. Where was the branch of the United States mint 
located ? 

183*. What Indians lived in North Carolina? 

184. Name uses of talc, or steatite. 

185. What is coal tar? 

186. Of what use is rosin ? 

187. Where is the largest turpentine distillery in the 
United States? 

188. From w^hat point can seven States be seen? 

WILMINGTON. 

This is the metropolis and principal seaport of North Caro- 
lina. Wilmington is noted for its "naval stores." . 



SOUTHERN STATES. 107 

It is the chief market in the world for tar, pitch and tur- 
pentine, and it exports, also, rice, cotton and peaniTts. 

The Carolina Oil and Creosote Co. have a plant where 
lumber is treated by a patent process. 

This method consists in extracting the sap and wood 
acids, and by a pressure of 125 pounds to the square inch, 
forcing hot creosoting oil into the open pores of the wood. 

This preserves the timber from water, insects, and dry rot. 

A United States marine hospital is located at Wilming- 
ton. 

There are dry docks large enough to accommodate vessels 
of 1,000 tons. Rice mills, turpentine distilleries are located 
here. 

DURHAM. 

Durham owes its fame to a single industry. 

The largest granulated smoking-tobacco factory in the 
world is here. 

Cigarettes are a specialty. $38,000,000 have been paid 
the government for revenue stamps during the last seven 
years. Cotton mills make the tobacco sacks, and factories 
the tobacco boxes. This town has the largest pay roll of 
any in the State. 

TAR. 

The old box trees from which turpentine was obtained, 
the dead trees, and stumps, are used in making tar. The 
pores become filled with pitchy matter, the wood increases 
in weight, and will take fire almost as readily as gunpowder. 



108 NORTH AMERICA. 



In making a tar-kiln, the ground is first scooped out, form- 
ing an inverted, cone-shaped foundation, with an opening 
and a tube from the center to some distance beyond the pit. 
The wood is then piled on end in the pit, pointing to the 
centre. 

lyOgs and green twigs are then piled around and the kiln 
is covered with dirt on top and sides. The fii-e is then 
lighted at the top and the tar trickles down to the center 
hole and out through the spout, 

A kiln yields from 50 to 100 barrels of tar, according to 
size. 

Pitch is tar boiled down until the volatile matter is driven 
off. 

TURPENTINE MANUFACTURE. 

Crude turpentine is the natural juice of the coniferous 
trees. American turpentine is obtained from two varieties 
of pine trees, which are most abundant in the Carolinas 
and Georgia. The distillers lease and sometimes buy vast 
tracts of pine lands, at about one dollar per acre. A half- 
moon shaped box is cut into each tree, then each box is 
cor7iered hy taking out a triangular piece. Next, the trees 
are hacked, by making groove-shaped cuts downward to the 
box. 

The sap, a sticky, honey-like gum, is gathered from the 
boxes and taken to the still. 

The hacking is performed, perhaps, six times during the 
season, which lasts from early spring until late fall. The 



SOUTHERN STATEvS. 109 

dipping is done with a spoon-shaped instrument and a 
peculiar twist of the wrist, only acquired by practice. Two 
dippers follow one hacker. The dippers gather the gum in 
buckets which are emptied into barrels, located conveniently. 

The first year's production is called virgin dip, the second, 
yellow dip, and following years, the scrape. Distilling is 
carried on in copper stills, varying in size from ten to sixty 
barrels. Spirits of turpentine is separated by distillation 
and the residuum, or resin, is let out of the vats, through 
strainers, into barrels. 

A turpentine distillery, employing loo men, will produce 
daily 75 barrels of resin or rosin, and between 400 and 500 
gallons of turpentine. 

SOUTH ATLANTIC SLOPE. 

The coast of the South Atlantic States is flat, low and 
sandy. The shore is protected by long, narrow sand bars. 

The productions of this region are rice and cotton, espec- 
ially the sea island cotton, the most famous known. 

The second terrace is a sandy belt, mostly covered with 
pine trees, from which are produced the tar, pitch, turpen- 
tine and rosin of commerce. 

The next terrace is the Piedmont, or the uplands, from 
which the grains, sweet potatoes and tobacco, are raised. 

Then in the mountains we find the mineral resources. 

WATER POWER. 

The Roanoke River falls 84 feet in nine miles above Wel- 
don, North Carolina. 50,000 horse-power might be devel- 



110 NORTH AMERICA. 



Oped here for manufacturing interests. Small boats can 
reach the sea from Weldon. 

A noticeable fact of all the rivers, from the Potomac 
down, is that water power can be obtained easily. 

Nearly every stream has a town at or near the mouth, and 
another at the head of the navigable water. 

Advantageous locations for manufacturing industries are 
found at numerous points on the South Atlantic Slope. 

CORUNDUM. 

A few years ago a mine of corundum, of such purity and 
quantity, was found to be of national importance. This 
mineral is of such hardness as to cut readily all metals, 
granite, marble, etc. 

Corundum is very sparsely found, heretofore mostly in 
India and China. 

The value of the discovery will be from the use of corun- 
dum as an abrasive, without which the economical use oi 
chilled iron and steel would be almost impossible. 

Emery has been used extensively for this purpose. 

In the form of a wheel, corundom will cut chilled iron, 
hardened steel, Scotch granite, etc. In the scale of hard- 
ness, the diamond stands at lo; corundum, 9; emery, 8. 
The mineral is deposited over 600 acres, in Macon County, 
North Carolina. 

MOUNT MITCHELL. 

The highest peak east of the Mississippi River, is Mount 
Mitchell, in North Carolina. 



SOUTHERN STATES. Ill 

It was named in honor of Dr. Elisha Mitchell, who lost 
djl^ his life, by falling down a precipice, on this mountain. His 
^ remains are buried on the summit, and hundreds of tourists 
visit this mountain every 3^ear. 

CAPE HATTERAS. 

i^ This cape is the most eastern extremity of North Carolina, 
* and is one of the most dangerous localities along the Atlan- 
tic coast. Near here are the Diamond Shoals, the dread of 
the sailors. The Gulf Stream flows within 20 miles of the 
cape, and the mingling of its warm air currents with colder 
land currents, causes frequent and violent storms. 

The coast, below Cape Hatteras, is strewn with the 
wrecks and fragments of vessels. 

MINERALS. 

The following are found in North Carolina : Gold, silver, 
iron, coal, copper, zinc, lead, mica^ graphite, buhr-stone, 
whet-stone, vSoap-stone, lime stone granite, etc. 

SOAP-STONE SLATE-PENCILS. 

The chief ingredient is soap-stone, more scientifically 
known as talc or steatite. It is a greasy, whitish stone, 
looking and feeling a great deal like country soap, from 
which it takes its name. The stone first comes in large 
chunks, and is subjected to a crushing process in a 
common quartz crushing machine. It is then ground to a 
fine powder in a regular buhr-mill, just as flour is made out 



112 NORTH AMERICA. 



of wheat, and the powder is next bolted exactly as wheat is 
bolted. Thus no foreign or hard substance remains to get 
into the pencil and scratch the slate. This fine powder, 
which looks much like flour, is then mixed with several 
chemicals and a neutralizing substance, and the whole put 
into a tank and boiled, being stirred constantly by a revolv- 
ing wheel. It is then run into another tank and cooled, 
turning into a thick pasty substance. This is caked, and by 
means of machinery made expressly for the purpose, is 
molded into long slim rods by being forced through a round 
aperture the size of a slate-pencil. These rods roll down an 
inclined plane on an easy grade, so as not to break, after which 
they are picked up and cut into proper lengths. They are 
then laid between corrugated sheets of zinc, in layers eight 
or ten deep, the whole called a kit, and put into a steam- 
heating dry-house at a temperature of 200 degrees Fahren- 
heit, where they are thoroughly dried. The next process is 
to place them in a furnace and bake them, after which, if 
they be intended for plain pencils, they are boxed ready for 
shipment. Some, however, are sent up-stairs, where there 
are men and machinery to point one end of each ; while 
others still are sent to another department to be covered 
with a red and white or white and gold-ringed paper. 
These pencils most readily take the youngster's eye, and 
make his mathematical duties less irksome than they would 
be if aided by one of the rough, uncovered, and unpointed 
kind. And this is the by no means easy process by which 
slate-pencils are made. Our reporter was shown 10,000,000 



SOUTHERN STATES. 



113 



pencils already boxed, waiting for shipment. The factory 
has a capacity to manufacture 150,000 a day, but has been 
making but about 75,000 ^tr A2iy .—Cincinnati Enquirer, 

There are extensive soapstone mines in Vermont, New 
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, and North 
Carolina. The above description oelongs to the North 
Carolina factory. 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



m 
o 

■*-• 

6 



o 

CO 



00 



I^ocation. 

Atlantic Ocean. 

Savannah. 

Santee. 

Wateree, 



Rivers. 

Mountains, 
Cities. 

Products. 



I Congaree. 
l^ Pedee. 

Blue Ridge. 

I Charleston. 
( Columbia. 

i Animal. 
\ Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

178. American Venice. 

179. Smoking Hills. 

180. Earthquake. 

181. Sea Island Cotton. 

182. Caesar's Head, 



114 NORTH AMERICA. 



183. Battle Fields. 

184. Revolutionary Heroes. 

185. "Sand-hillers. " 

186. Rice-birds. 

QUERIES. 

189. How much cotton can a person pick in a day ? 

190. What inventions did Eli Whitney make ? 

191. How much does a bale of cotton weigh ? 

192. Of what use is cotton seed ? 

193. What is the highest point in the State? 

194. What are phosphates ? Their use ? 

195. Where is the noted resort for consumptives ? 

196. What historical incident connected with Covv'pens? 

197. Who was John Locke? What was his "Grand 
xModel?" 

198. What stands to-day on the ruins of Fort Sumpter? 

199. What is PADDY? 

200. Where was the first paper money in America issued? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

CHARLESTON. 

Charleston, the largest city of South Carolina, and a very 
interesting place, on account of its historical associations, is 
situated on a peninsula, between the mouths of the Ashley 
and Cooper Rivers. It has a large, deep and safe harbor, 
about seven miles in length. The entrance to the harbor 
is protected by Fort Moultrie, Castle Pickney, and other 



SOUTHERN STATES. 115 

lesser fortifications. A lighthouse stands on the island cov- 
ered with the ruins of the once famous Fort Sumpter. 

This city, settled in 1679, is one of the oldest in the South- 
ern States. Goose Church, or Church of St. James, in the 
midst of a pine forest, near Charleston, was erected in 171 1, 
and is still in a well preserved condition. 

St. Michael's Church, in the city, built in 1752, is visited 
by many tourists, to enjoy, from the belfry, the magnificent 
view of the city and harbor. 

Charleston is devoted mainly to commerce, but of late 
years considerable increase in manufacturing industries has 
grown. 

The principal exports are : Cotton, rice, lumber, naval 
stores and fertilizers. 

It would be well, in this connection, to recall the interest- 
ing history of Charleston. Tell of the attack on Fort Moul- 
trie in 1776 ; the surrender of the city in 1779 ; the execu- 
tion of the noble patriot, Isaac Hayne, in 1781 ; the firing 
on Fort Sumpter in 1861 ; the great earthquake in 1886, and 
of other interesting events in history with which you may be 
familiar. 

In all your work, keep interweaving history with your 
geography, for you know that we can remember two facts 
about a place more easily than one. 

COTTON GIN. 

Eli Whitney, a Yankee school teacher, who was living at 
Mrs. Green's house in Georgia, invented this machine. 



116 NORTH AMERICA. 



A pound of cotton, cleaned by hand, required a day's 
work. A cotton pod is less in size than a common hen's 
Qgg, and bursts when ripe. The pod contains a number of 
seeds which adhere closely to the cotton. The cotton gin 
separates the cotton from the seed, and will separate more in 
one day than a person can in two months by hand. Take a 
small box and stretch parallel wires over the top, then place 
a few wheels of a clock, or wheels with saw-like edges, be- 
neath, and then cause them to revolve, and you have a 
miniature cotton gin. These wheels catch the cotton while 
plajdng beneath the wires, but leave the seed above the 
wire. 

This simple invention made Kli Whitney's name famous, 
made cotton raising profitable, made slavery dear to the 
hearts of the cotton-producing States, made the South rich, 
and crowned cotton King of the southern products. 

Tell of the inventor's troubles, the disadvantages under 
which he worked, how his machine was stolen before he ob- 
tained a patent, of his law suits, the burning of his factory, 
and discouragements from Congress and several state legis- 
latures, in fact his failure to reap the financial reward of his 
invention. 

HOW CAROLINA BECAME A RICE STATE. 

' 'The destiny of South Carolina was changed by a single 
lucky experiment. In 1696, when the colony was little 
more than thirty years old, the pioneers were still engaged 
in buying furs from the Indians, extracting rosin, tar, and 



SOUTHERN STATES. 117 

turpentine from the pines, cutting timber for shipment, and 
growing slender harvests of grain on the light soil along the 
coast. Attempts had already been made to grow indigo, 
ginger and cotton, but these had not answered the expecta- 
tion. A small and unprofitable kind of rice had also been 
tried in 1688. But one Thomas Smith thought that a patch 
of wet land at the back of his garden in Charleston resembled 
the soil he had seen bearing rice in Madagascar. It chanced 
in 1696, that a brigantine from that island anchored in dis- 
tress near Sullivan's Island, and the captain, an old friend 
of this enterprising Thomas Smith, was able to furnish him 
a bag of Madagascar rice suitable for seed. It grew luxuri- 
antly in the wet corner of the garden, and the seed from 
this little harvest was widely distributed. In three or four 
years the art of husking the rice was learned. African slaves 
were easily procured in the West Indies, and the face of 
society in the young State was presently changed. South 
Carolina became a land of great planters, and of a multitude 
of great toiling negroes. Smith was raised to the rank of 
landgrave, and made governor of the colony three years 
after the success of his rice patch. The new grain was at first 
grown on up-land ; but the planters afterward discovered 
that the neglected swamps were more congenial and less 
exhaustible. The cruelly hard labor of separating the grains 
from the adhering husks crippled the strength and even 
checked the increase of the negroes ; but in the years just 
preceding the Revolution this task came to be performed 
with mills driven by the force of the incoming and outgoing 



118 NORTH AMERICA. 



tides, or turned by horses or oxen. A hundred and forty 
thousand barrels of Carolina rice, of four or five hundred 
weight apiece, were annually exported before the war of 
Independence. Through the example of a governor of 
Georgia, the culture of rice spread into that colony, and 
completed the ruin of the silk business." — Eggleston. 

RICE. 

Rice is one of the cereals of the grass family, and much 
resembles wheat. It has been cultivated from the earliest 
times and forms one of the staple articles of commerce. It 
furnishes food for more people than any other one grain. 
It is cultivated m many parts of the world, but in the 
United States, South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana are 
especially noted for its production. It is a grain that needs 
much water, hence rice is principally raised along banks of 
a river, or low lands adjoining the sea, where the fields can 
be flooded successfully with water. 

Rice is sown in early spring, about three bushels to the 
acre, in trenches about one foot apart, then water is let on 
the fields for perhaps one w^eek, or until the grain sprouts. 
In a week or so, it is hoed, afterwards more water, another 
good hoeing, then water remains on the ground until the 
grain is ripe. 

Men and boys wade over the rice fields and pull out weeds 
and grass before the time to harvest It is cut with a s'ckle, 
bound, stacked, threshed, much like oats or wheat. It is 
not ready for use yet, not till it is hulled, sometimes by hand 



SOUTHERN STATES. 119 

in mortars, but mostly by machinery run by steam-power. 
A machine sorts the rice by means of screens. 

The best is called "prime rice," which is then "pol- 
ished" or "brushed," when it is ready for market. 

The smaller and broken grains are called ** middlings, " 
which are. kept for home use. 

There is one variety of rice which is grown on dry land. 

VENUS'S FLY-TRAP. 

There is a wonderful little plant, commonly called Venus's 
Fly trap. It is an inhabitant of damp places in the eastern 
parts of North and South Carolina. The leaves are ar- 
ranged in pairs, hinged together below, and raise upward, 
with their faces toward one another. Around the margin 
of the lobes are a large number of bristles. The surface of 
the leaves is very sensitive, and whatever insect alights on it 
is caught as effectually as a mouse in a trap, and is even 
squeezed to death by the pressure. The surface o^ the 
leaves is covered with a sweet substance secreted by 
the plant itself, and this constitutes the bait with which 
the insect is tempted on to its destruction. In order 
to make death doubly sure to the victim, the plant is 
provided with three or four sharp spines, in the interior of 
the trap, with which it pierces the insect. That the plant's 
sensitiveness is only located on the inner surface of the 
leaves, may be seen from the fact that it will not close its 
trap by touching it anywhere else. When the insect has 
been caught, the trap remains closed until the substance of 



120 NORTH AMERICA. 



the victim has all been absorbed by the plant, when it 
opens, ready for another victim. 

A botanist, who was experimenting with the "fly-trap," 
found that pieces of beef were soon dissolved and absorbed, 
but cheese disagreed with it, and finall}^ killed it. 

RED BONES. 

A singular race of people live in South Carolina. 

They are known as the South Carolina Red bones. 

Their origin is unknown ; their complexion is red, hence 
the name. 

They resemble gypsies, and live at the foot of the moun- 
tains, in a small settlement, holding no intercourse with the 
neighboring people. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 



12T 







GEORGIA. 


r| 


' Location anc 


I size. 


^ 


Atlantic Ocean. 


re State of the Sc 
irds." 


Rivers. 


' Savannah. 

Altamaha. 

Oconee. 

Ocmulgee. 

St. Mary's. 

Flint. 
^ Chattahoochee. 




Mountains. 
Cities. 


Blue Ridge. 

' Savannah. 

Augusta. 
, Atlanta. 
' Macon. 

Columbus. 
L Milledgeville. 


i §8 

t-t 


Products. < 


^Animal. 
1 Vegetable. 
1 Mineral. 
[^ Manufactured. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 



187. Georgia Crackers. 

188. Andersonville. 

189. Sand Hills. 

190. The Forest City of the South. 

191. Noted Battle-fields. 

192. Okefinokee Swamp. 

193. The Chicago of the South. 

194. International Cotton Exposition. 



122 NORTH AMERICA. 



QUERIES. 

20 1. Which city exports the most turpentine in United 
States ? 

202. What has been built on the summit of Stone Moun- 
tain ? 

203. Where was Jefferson Davis captured ? 

204. Who composed ' ' Marching Through Georgia. ' ' 

205. Who received the grant of Georgia from the English 
King? 

206. Why was Georgia so named ? 

207. Where is there a countrj^ called Georgia? 

208. Which is the largest State east of the Mississippi 
River. 

209. Do any of the Southern States pension the Confed- 
erate soldiers ? 

210. Who once gave the City of Savannah as a Christmas 
present ? 

211. What became of the Cotton Exposition Buildings? 

212. Which State leads, in the South, in manufacturing? 

213. In what does Georgia excel all other States? 

214. For what vegetable is Georgia famous? 

SAVANNAH. 

In 1773 General James Oglethorpe selected the site for 
Savannah, which is eighteen miles from the mouth of the 
river. The citj^ is regularly laid out, and plazas, or parks, 
alternate with the business blocks. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 123 

These plazas were left vacant for those who lived in dis- 
tant settlements, in case the Indians might compel them to 
-eek a place of safety. There are twenty-four of them. 
They are sometimes called "the lungs of the cit3^" They 
lid to the beauty and healthfulness of the city. 

Many monuments, statuary and fountains are found in 
these parks. There are grass-grown yards, with beautiful 
sl\ell walks, flowers which bloom nearly the year round, 
Japonicas which bloom in mid-winter, the stately palmettoes, 
the sweet magnolias, oleanders, orange, and banana trees. 

Two strong forts, Jackson and Pulaski, guard the entrance 
to the river and city. 

Savannah is next to the largest cotton market in the 
United States, and second to Wilmington in naval stores. 

The chief buildings in this city are the Custom House, 
Court House, the State Arsenal, City Exchange, hospitals, 
asylums, etc. In Monument Square are obelisks, erected to 
the memory of Count Pulaski, who fought for American 
independence, and General Green, of Revolutionary fame. 

Savannah is within the influence of the Gulf Stream, 
hence enjoys the mildness of the tropics in winter, and is a 
famous resort of northern invalids. I^ook up in the histo- 
ries, the scenes enacted here during the Revolution and 
Civil war. 

ATLANTA. 

Atlanta was destroyed b}^ General Sherman in 1864. 
A fine city, the capital of Georgia, has risen from the old 
ruins. Unlike other cities of the South, Atlanta owes her 



124 NORTH AMERICA. 

rapid growth to a favorable location and the spirit of enter- 
prise among her citizens. Trunk lines of railroad run to all 
sections of the State. The surrounding country produces 
much grain and cotton, besides valuable minerals. The 
city is built on an elevated plain and a singular feature is 
the city's supply of water. An abundant supply of drink- 
ing water is obtained from an artesian well which is i , 600 
feet in depth. The lumber interests, the vast cotton mills, 
the immense rolling mills, and other industries, give em- 
ployment to many people. Population, in 1890, 66,000. 

AUGUSTA. 

Augusta is situated on the Savannah River, at the head 
waters of navigation, 132 miles from Savannah city. 

By means of a canal, a 40-foot fall is obtained, thus furn- 
ishing power for factories. 

There are extensive flour mills, cotton mills, cotton seed 
oil mills, iron foundries, Georgia Railroad Machine shops, 
etc., located here. 

A granite monument, 45 feet high, erected to the memory 
of Georgia's three signers of the Declaration of Independ- 
ence, stands in front of the Cit}^ Hall. The Georgia Medi- 
cal College is located here. 

Augusta is the third city of importance in the State. 

JEKYL ISLAND. 

This island is situated in the Atlantic ocean, eight miles 
from Brunswick, Georgia, and it is owned by a private cor- 
poration of wealthy men. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 125 

The island was bought in i8S6, for $125,000; then the 
company built an elegant hotel. 

The number of members was limited to 100, with an 
annual due of $100. The island is ten miles in length by 
two and one-half wide. 

It has many attractions, viz : The fishing is good ; wild 
game is plentiful, even deer are found here ; a valuable 
oyster bed is on an inland shore ; the yachting opportuni- 
ties are fine ; pure water is obtained from an artesian well ; 
it is north of the fever line, and receives both the land and 
the sea breezes ; in fact the comforts and pleasures of this 
place has not an equal, north or .south. 

THE BRILLIANT FUTURE OF THE SOUTH. 

In a late address, before the Boston Mechanics' Society, 
Mr. Wendell Phillips, the noted orator, is reported to have 
said : "The handwriting is so plain on the wall that none 
but a fool need mistake it. New England is doomed just 
as sure as natural laws will produce fixed results. New 
England has no soil worth mentioning, and her wealth has 
all been derived from her manufactures. These are gradu- 
ally leaving her, and eventually they will all go; some to 
the West, but most to the South, where the advantages for 
profitable manufacturing are located. The coal and iron in 
the South are easily obtained, and inexhaustible in amount, 
and the iron mills, foundries and machine shops, can go to 
them better than they can be carried to the shops. Then the 



126 NORTH AMERICA. 



cotton and woolen mills must go there, for the raw materials 
are to be produced there most cheaply, uniformly and 
better. Then look at the advantages of the extra hours 
of daylight in a year's run. This, of itself, is no small mat- 
ter. As the South grows stronger and stronger, the wealth, 
culture and power of the country will be centered there, 
until she will become, not alone the mistress of America, 
but the central empire of the world." 

INDIAN RELICS IN GEORGIA. 

An Indian cemetery has been found in the center of the 
Nacoochee valley. There have been taken out human bones, 
mixed with arrow heads, beads, battleaxes, pipes, and other 
indestructible articles of sport, domestic use, and war. But 
the most interesting relics taken from these graves were 
conch shells, evidently brought from the seashore, and a 
tomahawk beaten from pure copper in its natural state, 
though the nearest point on the continent where such cop- 
per is found is I^ake Superior. It is held that the tribe must 
have traded with tribes both to the north and to the south. 
There is also a mound which is unopened, and which is 
known to have been built by a people ante-dating the 
Indians. 

THE FIRST AMERICAN SILK DRESS. 

The first silk dress made in America was one presented 
by Governor Oglethorpe, the founder of Georgia, to the 
queen of George III. Oglethorpe expected his colony to 



SOUTHERN STATES. 127 



become rich on silk raising and vine-culture, and the first 
silk raised in Georgia was spun and woven for the royal 
spouse. 

ROME. 

This thriving town is the railroad center of the industrial 
south. It is in the vicinity of the coal fields, the iron mines 
and marble quarries. The United States Government has 
undertaken to remove the shoals in the river, when there 
will be a direct water route to the Gulf. Its water power 
and water works are among the finest in the south. Its 
mills, foundries and factories are numerous, and the cotton 
trade is not light. 

JUGGING FISH. 

The Georgian boys have a queer way of fishing. 

They take a number of jugs and attach fishing lines to 
the handles of the jugs, then set them afloat. When a jug 
begins to bob, they know there's a fish on the hook. 

The sport is to catch the jug and is called "jugging fish." 

SPRINGS. 

The Warm Springs. Powder Springs. 

The Chalybeate Springs. Thundering Springs. 

The Indian Springs. Red Sulphur Springs. 

Madison Springs. Catoosa Springs. 

These springs are pleasantly and picturesquely situated in 
salubrious districts, and most of them have good accommo- 
dations for visitors. 



128 NORTH AMERICA. 



NICKOJACK CAVE. 

This cave is in the northwestern corner of Georgia. 

It extends into the Raccoon mountains, just how far, no 
one knows. It has been explored about three miles where 
further progress is stopped by a cataract. 

The bottom of the cave is covered with water, hence is 
accessible only in canoes. The roof is of solid rock. The 
opening into the mountains is i6o feet wide and 60 feet high. 

COTTON-SEED OIL. 

This industry has grown rapidly within the last few years. 
Formerly the seed was thought to be of no value, except 
the quantity retained for next years seeding. The first use 
made of it w^as to return it as a fertilizer. 

In 1826. an attempt was made to extract oil from the seed. 
The experiment was partial!}^ successful, for oil was obtained 
which gave a fair light. In 1834, Natchez, Mississippi, 
tried to crush the seed for commercial purposes, but the 
enterprise failed. In 1847, New Orleans, St. Louis, and 
Providence, R. I., made unsuccessful experiments. In 1878 
Atlanta, Georgia, accomplished favorable results by obtain- 
ing a fertilizer which doubled the increase of the soil. 

Experiments have proved that its uses are many, and its 
commercial value is very important. Large quantities of 
oil were exported to Italy w^here it was used to adulterate 
olive oil. Marseilles, France, used it extensively in soap 
manufacture, instead of ground-nut oil. The oil and cake 



NORTH AMERICA. 129 



is shipped to the Netherlands where it feeds the cattle and 
enters into the manufacture of butterine. 

The ash of the hull is of value for the potash it contains. 

Cotton-seed oil is used for lighting purposes, for dressing 
leather and wool, for lubricating purposes, and as a substi- 
tute for linseed oil. 

It is used in the manufacture of oleomargarine and gly- 
cerine. At present there are perhaps a hundred oil mills in 
operation throughout the south, most of them under the con. 
trol of the American Cotton Oil Company. 



130 



NORTH AMERICA. 



FLORIDA. 



en u 

(D 






Location. 
Atlantic Ocean. 



Bays. 



r^ I 



Rivers. 



[' Mexico. 
j Pensacola. 
j Appalachee. 
I Tampa. 

Lake Okeechobee. 

St. Mary's. 

St. John's. 
j Suwanee. 
1^ x\ppalachicola. 

Everglades. 

1 Florida Strait. 
Florida Keys. 

Capes. 



7-* 00 



Cities. 



Products. 



f Sable. 

I Canaveral. 

r Jacksonville. 
■ St. Augustine. 
<| Tallahassee. 
I Pensacola. 
t Key West. 

( Animal. 
} Vegetable. 
( Marine. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 



195. Wreckers. 

196. Fountain of Youth. 

197. Pineapples. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 131 



198. Dry Tortugas. 

199. Osceola. 

200. Devil's Mill Hopper. 

201. Crocodile Pond. 

202. Orange Culture. 

203. Wakulla Volcano. 

204. Prince Murat. 

205. Life Saving Service. 

QUERIES. 

215. What is the most southern town in United States? 

216. What are keys ? 

217. What Indians lived here ? 

218. Is a sponge an animal or a vegetable growth ? 

219. Why was Florida so named ? 

220. What Florida lake disappeared at the time of the 
Charleston earthquake in 1886? 

221. Who wrote "Away Down on de Suwanee Ribber? 

222. What is the seaport for Tallahassee? 

223. What are limes ? 

224. In what State is Jefferson Davis' birthday a legal 
holiday ? 

225. Which is the least populous of the Southern vStates? 
Most populous ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
A COUNTY COMPOSED OF KEYS. 

Monroe county, Florida, is the most southern county in 
the United States, and includes a long line of keys or 



132 NORTH AMERICA. 

islands, along which steamers sail for a whole day on their 
way to New York. These keys are almost wholly of coral line 
formation, and sweep in a great curve around the end of the 
peninsula. There are very few towns in the county, the 
only one of much importance being Key West. The straits 
between the islands are narrow and tortuous, and large ves- 
sels have trouble in making the passage. 

WOOD THAT SINKS IN WATER. 

There are-four hundred and thirteen species of trees to be 
found within the limits of the United States, sixteen of 
which, when perfectly seasoned, will sink in water. The 
heaviest of these is the black ironwood, found only in south- 
ern Florida, which is more than thirty per cent, heavier than 
water. Of the other fifteen, the best known is the lignum 
vitae, and the mangrove. All the species heavier than water 
belong to tropical Florida, or in the arid West or Southwest. 

Tlie cocoanut trees of Florida are due to nuts w^ashed 

ashore, from a wrecked vessel, sixteen years ago. Now the 

State furnishes nearly all the cocoanuts used in the United 

States. 

TAMPA. 

Tampa, the most important commercial city on the west 
coast of the peninsula, is built near the site of old Fort 
Brooke, at the head of Tampa Bay. The fort is now in 
ruins, and is used as a park by the city. 

Several of the remains of the labors of the "Mound Build- 
ers ' ' are found here. 



SOUTHERN STATEvS. 133 



Tampa is quite a popular resort, and boasts of a million- 
dollar hotel. 

^ The cit}' has considerable commercial intercourse with the 
West Indies, and has many cigar factories. 

Indian Hill, southeast of Tampa, is noted for the great 
heaps of shells, some of which are over 600 feet long and 
25 feet high. 

JACKSONVILLE. 

Jacksonville, a commercial city and a famous winter resort, 
is situated on the left bank of the St. John's River, about 
15 miles from the ocean. It is an ocean port, and exports 
large quantities of lumber, oranges, cotton and sugar. 

Over 60,000 tourists and invalids visit Jacksonville dur- 
ing the winter season. The St. John's River is navigable 
for 200 miles above Jacksonville, and steamers ply daily be- 
tween Jacksonville and Palatka. 

ST. AUGUSTINE. 

St. Augustine, the earliest European settlement in 
America, is on the east coast of Florida, about two miles 
from the ocean. The island of Anastasia lies at the 
entrance to the harbor, and furnishes a sort of shell concrete 
that is easily quarried and dressed, and which hardens upon 
exposure to the air. 

This substance, which is called coquina, is used in build- 
ing the first story of the two-storied houses, and was form- 
erly used in paving the streets. In those early days, 



134 NORTH AMERICA. 



vehicles were not permitted upon the streets, and they were 
so carefully swept that they would not soil the daintiest 
satin slippers worn by the Spanish ladies. 

The town, you remember, was first built in 1565, by 
Menendez. Since that time it has been destroyed, or nearly 
so, many times 

This quaint, old town has more of the appearance of a 
Spanish or Italian city, than of one belonging to the United 
States. On account of its congenial climate, healthful loca- 
tion, and interesting old buildings and ruins, it has become 
quite a popular resort for tourists and invalids, especially 
during the winter months. 

The fort of St. Mark's, begun in 1656, and finished in 
1756 ; the venerable Roman Catholic cathedral, and the old 
convent of St. Mary's, are among the interesting buildings. 

The streets are all quite narrow, the widest being but 
twenty-five feet in width. One of the streets, over a mile 
long, is only fifteen feet wide, and another is only twelve 
feet in width. Along these narrow streets many of the 
buildings have portions of their second stories jutting out 
over the street, so that persons in the second stories are, 
in mau}^ places, able to shake hands across the street with 
their neighbors. The advantage of these narrow, flue-like 
streets, in a semi-tronical climate, is very marked. 

KEY WEST. 

Key West (Bone Island), so called on account of the 
abundance of human bones found there when first discov- 



SOUTHERN STATES. 135 

ered by the Spaniards. The tradition was that some of the 
native tribes were driven from one key to another, and 
finally almost annihilated in a great battle on Key West. 

Key West was an important military and naval station 
during the Mexican and Civil War. 

The hitherto small population was greatl}^ increased by 
emigrants from Cuba, in 1869. 

Key West is the metropolis of Florida, and manufactures 
great quantities of cigars. Besides cigars, sponges form the 
principal article of export. 

The Florida keys consist of rock, covered with a soil 
formed by decayed vegetable and marine growths. 

Key West has an excellent harbor, and is strongly forti- 
fied, as it guards the best entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. 

EVERGLADES. 

The Everglades should not be thought of as a marsh or 
swamp, but as a shallow lake with a rock bottom and over- 
grown with grass, which reaches several feet above the water. 
There are man}^ islands in this vast region, some of which 
are inhabited by survivors of the tribe of Seminole Indians. 
The water is drinkable, and many fish abound in the chan- 
nels, which the natives have made for their canoes. 

A short distance to the northward is Lake Okeechobee 
(big water), whose exact diminsions are not known. The 
lake is shallow, the water good, and there are plent)' of fish 
and water fowl. 



136 NORTH AMERICA. 



SINKS. 

From the region of the Suwanee River, westward, many 
' ' sinks ' ' are found. They are peculiar natural wells, vary- 
ing in diameter and depth, and are always connected with a 
subterranean stream. The waters of the underground rivers 
wear away the overhanging limestone rocks, until the weight 
of the rock causes it to cave in, when the debris is either 
carried off by the stream, or it may be sufficient to dam the 
subterranean river, and cause its waters to come to the sur- 
face, and thus form a river or lake where none existed before. 
This whole region seems to be honey-combed by under- 
ground streams and lakes. 

Alachua (The big jug without a bottom), was the name 
the Indians gave to one of the largest of these "sinks," 
It is located near Gainsville. 

SPRINGS. 

j 

Florida is noted for its large number of springs. 

Many of them are large, and noted for their remarkably 
clear waters. 

Silver Springs, southwest of Palatka, discharges daily 
over three hundred million gallons of water, pure as crys- 
tal — a volume of water sufficient to float a large steamer. 

Tradition says that DeSoto visited this spring in 1539. 

Blue Spring, nearly due west of Silver Spring, is 350 feet 
wide, and over 25 feet deep. The color of the water varies 
from blue to green. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 137 

Wakulla (Mystery) Spring, near Tallahassee, is another 
of the most noted springs. It is over loo feet deep, with 
absolutely transparent water. Fish, turtles and alligators 
can be seen swimming, in perfect security, far below the 
surface. 



REVIEW TOPICS. 

1 . Name States touching Atlantic Ocean. 

2. Name the capital of each State. 

3. Name the metropolis of each State. 

4. List all the rivers in regular order. 

5. Name the boundary rivers. 

6. Name 10 places noted for their interesting historical 
associations. 

7. Name and locate 12 lakes. 

8. Name and locate 10 cities noted for manufacturing. 

9. Name and locate 10 cities, noted for their educational 
advantages. 

10. Name 10 mountains and peaks. 

11. lyist 10 bays. 

12. Give the sou driguefs of 10 cities. 

13. Name 8 summer resorts. 

14. Name 5 winter resorts. 

15. Name and locate 5 wonders of nature. 

16. Sketch the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. 

17. Name 10 of the leading productions of the Southern 
States. 



138 NORTH AMERICA. 



1 8. List the manufactured products ot the North Atlan- 
tic State 

19. Give a full list of minerals. 

20. Name 10 noted men, and the towns made famous by 
them. 

21. List and locate 10 noted buildings. 

22. Bound, by block method, Massachusetts and Tennes- 
see. 

23. Tell about the springs, lakes and ** sinks/' of Florida. 

24. Name and locate 10 cities named in honor of promi- 
nent persons. 

25. Which State leads in commerce ? In manufacturing? 
In mining? 

A SUGGESTION. 

One of the best things a teacher can do, to instruct the 
children, is to direct them to look for the causes of things; 
to enforce a habit of gathering facts, by observation and b}^ 
reading; to help them to arrange, S3^stematically, the knowl- 
edge so found. 

The teacher will be remembered for the impulse given to- 
ward broader views, and a firmer grasp of learning. Geo- 
graphy affords a free scope for philosoph}-. What makes 
cities ? 

Countries and cities become great in proportion as they 
control the interchange of the commerce of the world. 

We find noted cities wherever the products of the Jixed 
East have been exchanged with the ever moving West, 

The old caravans formed cities on their routes. 



SOUTHERN vSTATES. 



139 



New routes left the old commercial cities to wither and 
die. Water navigation formed new locations as trade cen- 
ters. There are reasons for the location of each city that 
ever has been, or is now, of note in geography or history. 

The why is worthy of careful consideration. 



MISSISSIPPI 







' Location. 




^ 




Gulf of Mexico. 




: 


Mississippi Sound. 




7) 




f Tennessee. 


o 


a 




1 Tombigbee. 


^ 


'% 


Rivers. 


< Pearl. 


TO 


r< 




Mississippi. 


- 




1^ Yazoo. 








Vicksburg. 






Cities. 


- Jackson. 
( Natchez. 


m 


t~^ 




V 


s 


00 




i Animal. 






Products. 


-| Vegetable. 
( Manufactured 



SUGGKSTIYK KEY WORDS. 

206. Land of Leeves. 

207. Terrapin farms. 

208. The Yazoo Fraud. 

209. Cane Hills. 



140 NORTH AMERICA. 



210. Mississippi Bottoms. 

211. Great Father of Waters. 

212. Silt. 

213. River of Ancient Ruins. 

QUERIES. 

226. What is a terrapin ? 

227. What was the Mississippi bubble ? 

228. Which race predominates in Mississippi ? 

229. What battle fields in this State ? 

230. Did buffalos ever roam over the Southern vStates? 

231. Which is the longest fiver in the world ? 

232. Is it true that the Mississippi River runs up hill ? 

233. What does the word Mississippi, mean ? 

234. Where was Jeff Davis' home? 

235. Who is called " The Daughter of the Confederacy "? 

236. To which State did Mississippi once belong ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
VICKSBURG. 

Vicksburg, the metropolis of Mississippi, is situated on a 
bluff of the Great River, a little below the mouth of the 
Yazoo River, and 400 miles above'New Orleans. It is sur- 
rounded by a rich countrj^ for cotton and other agricultural 
products. The city has many fine buildings, and a variety 
of manufacturing interests. It is noted as a cotton market, 
but more especially for the siege which occurred here during 
the Rebellion. Read carefully the account of the surrender 



vSOUTHERN STATES. 141 



of Vicksburg, in your historieSo Find out how the city was 
approached and how they lived in the city. 
Tell of the running of the batteries, etc. 

PALMYRA BEND. 

Below Vicksburg there was a noted bend in the river. 

It was thirty miles around, and across the neck not much 
over one-fourth of a mile. The average fall of the Missis- 
sippi river is four inches per mile, hence, when the current 
began to run across the neck, it soon wore a channel which 
became one mile wide and one hundred feet deep. 

Relate General Grant's experience in changing the course 
of ''Father of Waters." 

NATCHEZ. 

Natchez, the second city in population, is about 275 miles 
above New Orleans. It is built on a bluff 150 feet above 
the river, and affords a splendid view of the immense 
cypress swamps of Louisiana. 

A portion of the city is situated on a narrow strip along 
the river, at the foot of the bluff, hence goes b}^ the name of 
" Natchez-under-the-Hill." The upper part is known as 
"Natchea-on-the-Hill." On the bluff is a National ceme- 
tery, and a beautiful park. The name Rosalie was first given 
to this place, but the Natchez Indians destroyed the fort and 
massacred the people. 

, It was once the capital of the State. The main business 
Here is the cotton trade 



142 NORTH AMERICA. 



OYSTER BEDS. 

Near Pass Christian, in the Mississippi Sound, is one of 
the largest 03'ster beds in this part of the Gulf. It is over 
one mile wide and about 10 miles in length. This oj^ster 
bank supplies the canning factories of the Mississippi coast, 
and furnishes a large quantity of oysters used in the Cres- 
ent City. 

Fifty vessels are busy gathering oysters, in the fishing 
season. The canned products are shipped north to the in- 
terior cities, and sold at good prices. 

FISHING. 

Mississippi City has been famous for the fine mackerel 
fishing. The Spanish mackerel is a much finer fish than 
his cousin of the northern seas. It is one of the most deli- 
cately flavored of the fish species. 

The silver fish makes the most interesting sport of any 
found in the Gulf Few ever forget their experience with a 
fish of this kind, and fewer yet ever safely land the first 
tarpoji hooked by them. 

Bass, sea trout, pompano, red fish, and sheep-head are all 

plentiful. 

MOUND BUILDERS. 

Many mounds are found in this State, in different places. 
The largest and most interesting mound is at Seltzer Town. 
It is 600 feet b}' 400 feet at the base, and 40 feet high. The 
corners were in harmony with the cardinal points of the' 
compass. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 143 

Dr. Dickerson, the explorer, found skeletons, ashes, vases, 
and sun-dried brick, two feet thick, having- on each the print 
of a human head. 

A group of mounds, in Chicasaw county, were surrounded 
by a wall enclosing six acres. 

WALLNUT HILLS. 

These hills are a few miles above Vicksburg, on the east 
bank of the river. 

They rise boldly, with swells and gullies, to nearly the 
height of 500 feet. 

It forms one of the most beautiful landscapes on the Lower 
Mississippi. 

LEVEES. 

Between the Yazoo aad Mississippi Rivers, there is a net- 
work of bayous and small streams. 

All this country of 60 miles width in places, was sub- 
merged for weeks, and even months, in times of floods, be- 
fore a system of works began to "fence ' ' in the water. 

The side channels were cut off and embankments were 
built many miles along the river. These levees have cost over 
100 millions of dollars, which was obtained from the United 
States Government, State and private parties. 

Previous to the Rebellion, Louisiana had spent $24,000,- 
000; Mississippi $14,500,000, and other States smaller 
amounts. 

The levees are divided into districts, and over a million of 
dollars are annually expended in keeping them in repair. 



144 NORTH AMERICA. 



Below the mouth of the Missouri, the Mississippi flows 
over a more nearly level bed, the current becomes sluggish 
and much of the sediment, held heretofore in solution, is 
deposited along its course. 

This sediment fills up the bed of the river, and makes it 
necessary for the levees to be built higher and higher, year 
after year. This makes the breaks more dangerous, and on 
the lower Mississippi the steamboats are actually above the 
low lands adjoining the river. 



SOUTHERN vSTATEvS. 



145 





ALABAMA. 




Location. 






Comparative size. 




Gulfs. 


j Mexico. 
1 Mobile. 


o w 


Rivers. 


* 


' Tennessee. 
Chattahoochee. 
Mobile. 
Alabama. 
Coosa. 
Tallapoosa. 
Tombigbee. 
Black Warrior. 




f Cumberland. 
Mountams.jg^^^^.^g^ 


« 2- 


Cities. 




' Mobile. 

Montgomery. 

Selma. 

Birmingham. 
^ Huntsville. 


^ ^ 


Products. 


C Animal. 
- Vegetable. 
'Mineral. 




SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 




214. 


Cane brakes. 




215. 


Spanish Moss. 




216. 


Muscle Shoals. 




217. 


DeSoto. 




218. 


H 


[orse Shoe Bend. 



146 NORTH AMERICA. 



219. Fort Mimms. 

220. The Paint Rocks. 

221. The Suck. 

222. Natural Bridge. 

QUERIES. 

237. What is the origin of the name Alabama? 

238. Where was the first seat of the Confederate Govern- 
ment ? 

239. How much seacoast has this State? 

240. What Indians once lived here? 

241. Locate the battle-fields in Alabama ? 

242. Which is the most populous race, the white or black? 

243. What revenue does Alabama receive from her oyster 
industry ? 

244. How are good roads made in southern Alabama ? 

245. Where is the largest fruit nursery in United States? 

246. What ex-Vice-President was arrested on Alabama 
soil ? 

247. What is an Alabama gopher? 

MOBILE. 

Mobile, the metropolis, is the only seaport of the State. 

It is situated on a sandy plain, sufficiently elevated to 
afford the city good drainage. 

It is the outlet of 2,000 miles of navigable waters, and of 
the greatest cotton regions of the United States. One of the 
leading industries is the manufacturing of lumber, especially 



SOUTHERN STATES. 147 

cypress shingles. The naval store supplies are important. 
The coal trade is increasing rapidly. 

The city is abundantly supplied with pure water, from 
springs six miles distant. 

The United States Marine Hospital is located here. Its 
history should be read, as it figures prominently with the 
Indians, Spanish, French, British and Americans. Near 
here is the noted African village, which contains the sur- 
vivors of the last ship load of slaves ever brought to our 
country. The Emancipation Proclamation freed them be- 
fore they were sold. 

BIRMINGHAM. 

This town of 26,000 people contained less than 5,000 in 
1880. The iron industry is the principal business. Six 
miles distant is Red Mountain, estimated to contain 500,- 
000,000 tons of iron ore. The Warrior coal field, the largest 
in the State, is near at hand. Pig iron is produced at a 
cost of nine dollars per ton, and over 2,000 tons are manu- 
factured daily. The number of employes engaged in works 
of all kinds, is over 22,000. The State criminals are used 
in the mines. 

A veritable ' ' Birmingham of America. ' ' 

Huntsville, Decatur, Gadsden, Sheffield, are all prosper- 
ous towns in northern Alabama. 

ANNISTON. (ANNIE'S TOWN.) 

Anniston is another town of recent growth, situated in 
the heart of the iron regions. The ore is mined from the 



148 NORTH AMERICA. 



mountains and the hills, which surround the town, without 
any underground work. Here was a furnace which sup- 
plied the Confederates with iron during the Rebellion. 

The town is supplied with pure water from an artesian 
well. Annislon has the largest cotton mill in the State, and 
the only steel bloomery in the South. Charcoal furnaces, 
and Coke ovens, are important interests. Here are the 
largest pipe works in the United States, which produce 200 
tons of pipe daily. 

Houses, schools, churches, stores, etc., were built by the 
men who owned the mills, for their emplo}- es. 

MASSACRE ISLAND. 

Dauphine Island lies near the entrance to Mobile Bay. It 
was the seat of a French settlement, under Bienville. From 
the great number of human bones found there, it was named 
Massacre Island. Here was located for several years the 
capital of the French colony of Louisiana. Fort Gains is on 
this island, which, with Fort Morgan, on Mobile Point, 
guard the entrance to the bay. The passage is three miles 
across and over 20 feet deep. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 



149 



LOUISIANA. 



a 



Location. 
Comparative size. 
Gulf of Mexico. 



Lakes. 



Rivers. 



Cities. 



Products. 



C Pontchartrain. 
I Borgne. 

Pearl. 

Mississippi. 
Red. 
Sabine. 

C New Orleans. 
} Baton Rouge. 
(Shreveport. 

C Animal. 
} Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



1^ Manufactures. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

223. Acadian Coast. 

224. Shaking Prairies. 

225. Mardi Gras. 

226. Crescent City, 

227. New Orleans Exposition. 

228. The Garden of Louisiana. 

229. Levees. 

230. Crevasses. 



150 NORTH AMERICA. 



231. lyouisiana lyOttery. 

232. Mafia. 

233. The Passes. 

234. The Picayune. 

235. Glucose. 

QUERIES. 

248. What are counties' called m Louisiana ? 

249. What are the Coulees? Rigoletsf 

250. What is a bayou? Lagoon ? 

251 . Why was Pearl River so named ? 

252. Why are there few good harbors on the gulf coast? 

253. In what production does Louisiana lead all other 
States ? 

254. How many States have been made from the original 
Louisiana ? 

255. What city has cemeteries above ground? 

256. How many parishes of Louisiana are subject to in- 
undation by the overflow of the Mississippi River ? 

257. That is a delta? 

258. What fish is called " The King of the Gulf?" 

259. What words mean '' One-Eyed Lake " ? " Bridge of 
the Coach Train" ? 

260. What were the boundaries of Louisiana, when pur- 
chased in 1803? 

261. How was the State formed ? (Geologically). 

262. How are the people of New Orleans supplied with 
water ? 



SOUTHERN vSTATES. 151 

263. Does the sun ever shine directly over the heads of 
the people of New Orleans ? Why or why not ? 

A SUGGESTION. 

Write all you know about sugar. Molasses. 

Lay this paper away, then read up for one week the sub- 
ject of sugar cane, its history, care and manufacture. Try 
writing again, and compare with j^our first effort. These 
subjects are purposely omitted. 

NEW ORLEANS. 

New Orleans, the Metropolis of Louisiana, and the largest 
cotton market in America, is situated on the Mississippi 
River, over 100 miles above its mouth, and 1,200 miles be- 
low St. Louis. 

The city is built in the shape of a letter S, on the left 
bank of the river. 

There is a levee twenty-six miles in length, by 15 feet 
wide, by 14 feet high, and surrounding the city, to protect it 
from inundation. Parts of the city are below the highwater 
mark of the river. 

There are ditche in the streets from which the water is 
pumped by steam power. New Orleans has a number of 
canals for business use. 

This city is the largest sugar market in the United States. 

Sugar is stored in immense sheds, where it is heaped up, 
like coal in a yard. Spaniards, French, Italians, Mexicans, 
Indians, Creoles, Chinese, Germans, Irish, Northerners and 



152 NORTH AMERICA. 



Westerners, all come together and jostle one another, in the 
busy pursuits of life. There are over 2,000 different manu- 
facturing establishments within the city. A few of the chief 
buildings are the Custom House, United States Branch Mint, 
Cathedral of St. Louis, St. Charles Hotel, the City Hall, 
and Charity Hospital. 

Mardi Gras, or Shrove Tuesday, the greatest carnival in 
the United States, is observed here. New Orleans has 
suffered several times from the ravages of yellow fever. 

New Orleans is the natural entrepot of one of the richest 
regions of the world, and commands over 15,000 miles of 
steamboat navigation. 

Read up the historical associations connected with this 
place. 

It is the twelfth city of United States in population, 
and has nearly one-quarter million of inhabitants. 

MOSS. 

The long moss of commerce is almost wholly a product of 
Louisiana, although it is found in the lowlands of all the 
Gulf States. It is known by the name of Spanish Moss, 
Gray and Long Moss. Its native home is in the branches 
and tops of living trees, which grow in the swamps. It is 
rarely found north of 33° north latitude. 

It revels in the darkest recesses of the everlasting swamps, 
and the dismal cypress groves. It drifts from the tops of the 
cypress, and festoons, with its gray drapery, the other trees 
of the swamps. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 153 

The moss needs the tree simply to keep it in the air. 

It is said that it feeds on the elements in the air, and thus 
purifies the atmosphere. 

No scenery in nature can convey a more solemn appear- 
ance, to a traveler, than a moss-covered swamp, shutting 
out the brightest sun, so as to make twilight at noon. The 
great moss region is all southwest Louisiana, wherever 
swamps exist. 

The moss is gathered by hundreds of men, both white 
and black, who make a business of this work. 

It is then dried, baled and shipped to the moss factories. 

The factories undo the bales, sort, cleanse, and grade 
the moss, ready for the market. 

The moss is shipped to all parts of United States and 
Canada. 

Large quantities are sent to Germany and France. 

It is used in making mattresses, cushions, car-seats, stufi"- 
ing chairs, and for all purposes to which hair was applied. 

THE SALT MINE. 

On Petit Anse Island is one of the famous rock salt mines 
of the world. This island lies about loo miles west of 
New Orleans. The salt is very nearly pure. The mine has 
been bored to a depth of 65 feet and no signs of a bottom, 
and the extent is over half a mile square as proved by bor- 
ings, and it may extend much farther. 

Earth covers the salt from 10 to 30 feet in depth. 



154 NORTH AMERICA. 



Miners drill holes into the solid salt, then blast as they 
do rocks. The salt is then crushed in mills and placed on 
the market. 

During the Civil War the Confederates obtained salt from 
this source. 

The miners have found the bones of a mastodon in the 
earth above the salt. 

SULPHUR MINE. 

Eighty miles west of the salt mines is an immense [mine 
of pure crystalline sulphur. The sulphur is loo feet in 
thickness and lies over 400 feet below the surface of sur- 
rounding country. 

GUINEA GRASS. 

This grass was brought from Africa to Jamaica less than 
200 years ago. It has spread over many of the West Indies 
and has been grown with success in Florida and Louisania. 

The grass grows 8 feet high and can be cut three times in 
one season. It makes fine feed for cattle and horses. 

The tea shrub will grow here. Experiments have proved 
this fact. 

SHREVEPORT. 

This city is on the west bank of the Red River, about 
500 miles from its mouth, and 20 miles below the Great 
Raft. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 155 

It is situated in the midst of a productive country and the 
cotton, hides, wool, and other commercial articles, give a 
business exchange of $20,000,000 annually. 

There are more colored people here than whites. 

Highest temperature 102°; lowest, 5° above zero. 

Average rainfall, 52 inches. 

RED RIVER RAFT. 

The great raft in Red River once extended nearly 45 miles. 

It is an immense collection of driftwood and trees which 
have lodged in the river. 

In 1872 the United States government undertook to re- 
move the drift, and in November, 1873, a navigable chan- 
nel was opened. This gives an outlet to a rich cotton 
country above vShreveport. 

PASSAGES FROM LONGFELLOW'S EVAN- 
GELINE. 

In 1755, the village of Grand Pre, in the Province of 
Acadia, or Nova Scotia, was broken up by general Winslow, 
under orders from the King of England, the property of the 
Acadians forfeited to the Crown, and 253 of their houses 
were set on fire at one time. Among others, Basil, the 
Blacksmith, the father of Gabriel, had proceeded to Opelou- 
sas, in St. Landry, and Evangeline followed Gabriel, her 
lover, with her guide, the Father Felician. Passing down 
the Mississippi, as they approached bayou Plaquemine: — 



156 NORTH AMERICA. 



" Level the landscape grew, and along the shores of the river 

Shaded by China trees, in the midst of luxuriant gardens, 

Stood houses of planters with negro cabins and dove cots. 

They were approaching the region were reigns perpetual summer, 

Where through the Golden Coast, and groves of orange and citron, 

Sweeps with majestic curve the river away to the eastward. 

They, too, swerved from their course, and entering the bayou of Pla- 

quemine. 
Soon were lost in a maze of sluggish and devious waters. 
Which, like a network of steel extended in every direction. 
Over their heads the towering and tenebrous boughs of the cypress 
Met in a dusky arch, and trailing mosses in mid air. 
Waved like banners that hung on the walls of ancient cathedrals. 
Deathlike the silence seemed and unbroken, save by the herons 
Home to their roosts in the cypress trees returning at sunset, 
Or by the owl, as he greeted the moon with demoniac laughter. 
Lovely the moonlight was, as it glanced and gleamed on the water — 
Gleamed on the columns of cypress and cedar sustaining the arches, 
Down through those broken vaults it fell as through chinks in a ruin. 

Thus ere another moon they emerged from those shades, and before 

them 
Lay, in the golden sun, the lake of the Atchafalaya. 
Water lilies in myriads rocked on the slight undulations. 
Made b}' the passing oars, and resplendent in heart the lotus 
Lifted her golden crown above the head of the boatman. 
Faint was the air with the odorous breath of magnolia blossoms, 
And at the heat of noon: and numberless sylvan islands, 
Fragrant and thickly embowered with blossoming hedges of roses, 
Near to whose shores they glided along, invited to slumber. 

Thus he spake to his guests, who listened, and smiled as they listened: 
Welcome, once more, my friends, who so long have been friendless 

and homeless. 
Welcome once more to a home that is better perchance than the old 

one. 
Here no hungry winter congeals our blood like the rivers; 
Here no stony ground provokes the wrath of the farmer, 



SOUTHERN STATES. 157 

Smoothly the plowshare runs through the soil like a keel through the 

water — 
All the year round the orange groves are in blossom, and grass grows 
More in a single night than a whole Canadian summer. 
Here, too, numberless herds run wild and unclaimed in the prairies. 

Read the wkole story, it will richly repay you. 

The land of beautiful scenery, of glassy lakes and bays; 
of splendid prairies and noble forests; of pleasant skies and 
gentle breezes; is the land where Evangeline sought her 
lover Gabriel, as described by the poet in "A Tale of 
Acadia." 

PRODUCTS. 

The fruits ©f Louisiana are: Oranges, lemons, limes, 
bananas, pineapples, Japan plums, figs, quinces, pears, 
peaches, cherries, grapes, pawpaws, persimmons, crab apples, 
strawberries, mulberries, besides nuts of various kinds. 

The bottom lands are excellent for the production ot 
sugar, cotton, rice, corn, sweet and Irish potatoes, peas, 
tobacco, melons, hay and oats. 

Louisiana is not rich in minera. resources, but sulphur, 
gypsum salt, coal peat, iron, and various clays, are found 
here. 

The forest trees are the oak, elm, ash, locust, cypress, sas- 
safras, mulberry, walnut, hickory, pecan, maple, magnolia, 
poplar, pine, buckeye, willow, and others. 

Stock of all kinds thrive here. Oysters, fish, and water 
game, are abundant in their season. Sea turtles are found 
in large numbers on the islands. 



158 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Deer, bear, panther, fox, opossum, raccoon and otter, are 
found here. Alligators are found in the rivers. There are 
a few kinds of snakes. 

The silk worms will thrive in this State. The mulberry 
leaves are their best food. 

Silk culture was carried on by the early French settlers. 

Four and one-half pounds of Louisiana cocoons make one 
pound of silk. The silk worm season lasts two months. 



-> 




Area. 


<u 














- 


Gulfs. 


u 

(Tl 


^ 




-*-> 


cd 




m 


^ 




^ 


<-l-H 




CI 


<L» 




o 


<U 




a 


w 








Location. 



Rivers. 



TEXAS, 



I Mexico. 
\ Galveston. 

Canadian. 

Red. 

Sabine. 

Trinity. 

Brazos. 

Colorado. 

Nueces. 

Rio Grande. 

Pecos. 



Mountains. 



Cities. 



Products. 



" Galveston. 

Houston. 

Austin. 

San Antonio. 

Brownsville. 
^Sherman. 

I Animal. 
( Vegetable. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 159 

SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

236. Alamo. 

237. Staked Plains. 

238. Northers. 

239. Yucca. 

240. Mesquit. 

241. Hog- wallow. 

242. New Philippines. 

243. Knights of the Golden Circle. 

244. Pan-handle. 

245. Mezquite. 

246. Chapparal. 

247. Cross Timbers. 

248. Arroyos. 

249. The Island 'City. 

QUERIES. 

264. What is the meaning of the word Texas ? 

265. To what country did Texas formerly belong? 

266. What town is partly in Ttxas and partly in an ad- 
joining State? 

267. In what month is the Texas wheat harvest? Corn 
harvest ? 

268. When did the slaughter of a few pigs nearly ruin 
the Republic of Texas ? 

269. The dispute over what territory caused the Mexican 
war? 



160 NORTH AMERICA. 

270. To what time belt does Texas belong? 

271. What State leads in the production of cotton ? 

272. How is fresh meat shipped in summer time ? 

273. Why is Texas called the "Lone Star State" ? 

274. Where did the last fight of the Rebellion take place ? 
When ? 

OUR GREAT COTTON INDUSTRY. 

What an expanse of knowledge opens up in- the one word 
"Cotton!" We read of thousands of millions of pounds of 
cotton brought to the mills, made into cloth, and sent out 
again. We call it one of the staple industries of our country, 
3^et it is doubtful if we really have any idea of the magni- 
tude which the cotton trade has attained of late years. 

The planting of seed begins in Texas in February, is later 
as one goes northward, closing in North Carolina and Ten- 
nessee not before early in May. 

The plant resembles a bean in its early growth, shoots up 
two green leaves, and grows in a few days two or three 
inches high. More leaves soon appear, and in about three 
weeks the process of plowing and cutting out the superfluous 
plants begins, leaving only three or four in a bunch and the 
bunches being one or two feet apart. 

There are many kinds of cotton. Those most cultivated 
are from two to four feet in height. The pods, when ripe, 
burst open and permit the cotton to be easily gathered. 
The seeds are entangled in the fibres and must be gathered 
with them. The fibres are called staples. If they are long, 



SOUTHERN STATES. 161 

the cotton is called long-staple cotton; if short, short-staple 
cotton. 

The seeds are so entangled in the staples, that at the be- 
ginning of the cotton industry till after the invention of the 
cotton gin, by Kli Whitney, a Massachusetts man, about 
a ICO years ago, it used to take a man an entire day to sep- 
arate one pound of lint from the seed; to-day one man 
superintends machinery that does 5,000 times as much. 

Cotton fibres, though thinner than cobwebs singly, are 
yet tubes. In their growth on the seed, they become 
twisted or spiral, a great help in carding; for just as cork- 
screws twine together and point all one way after a good 
shake, so do the filaments of cotton after carding. Fast, but 
gently, there is sent off at last a thin, filmy cloud of gossa- 
mer, floating in the air, which gathers into an endless curl 
or sliver of pearl}^ w4iite cotton. Ijght as a wreath of 
smoke the sliver goes on to unite with its fellow slivers, and 
with them winds at length in a flat coil upon a metal reel. 

From the cards the slivers travel to the drawing machines, 
and now we see why so many slivers are joined in one. The 
filaments of cotton are not all equal, and some of them break 
in carding, which would make bad thread. When the 
slivers are doubled over and over again, and when these 
doubled slivers, drawn out to the size of a candle wick, are 
doubled from sixteen to twenty thousand times, the stouter 
threads correct the weak ones. The finer the thread, the 
greater the number of card ends doubled into one. For fine 



162 NORTH AMERICA. 



lace sixty thousand or more are thus doubled and drawn out 
into a single delicate thread. 

Now the slivers are twisted and wound upon bobbins. 
Now to the throstle or spinning frame. 

Seated on the bars of the throstle are long lines of reels of 
cotton thread looking like a row of white breasts of sea 
birds. 

Round and round go the bobbins. Reels at the top give 
out the thread which is drawn finer and twisted, and bob- 
bins below receive it until they are filled and others take 
their place. 

Then there is the weaving. A good deal has to be done 
with the-thread before it gets to the loom. As a rule, the 
twist, to form the icarp or length-thread of the cloth, is 
throstle- spun, while the weft, or breadth-thread, which wafts 
to and fro with the shuttle, is spun upon the mule-frames. 
Women prepare the warp for the loom. The warping frames 
look not unlike giant clothes-horses, on the bars of which 
are placed bobbins without number. From all these bob- 
bins the ends are culled and drawn, narrower and narrower, 
to a roller, just the width of the cloth to be woven. They 
pass on their way through slip guages, to keep their exac^ 
distance apart; and, round the roller they wind, a sheet of 
cloth without the cross thread or weft. And now the long 
lines of thread look as though the giants might be having 
a tremendous game of ' ' cradle. ' ' 

The action of the loom upon the warp is to raise one set 
of alternate threads and to lower the other set, so as to divide 



SOUTHERN STATES. 163 

the warp into two sheets of thread. It is trying labor; every 
separate thread must be seen to, so that all shall rise and 
fall without a mistake, and at the same time travel on to- 
ward the shuttle. 

The rolLof woven cloth lengthens and lengthens as the 
shuttle flies to and fro, with the rap it gets on either side. 
Neither end will have it. Self-acting arms iling it back- 
wards and forwards, as if in spite, and do not cease until the 
cob is wound out. 

Between the two separated layers of warp threads the 
weaver puts in, with shuttles, the weft threads across the 
warp at right angles, and fills up the breadth of the web. 
By means of treadles both warp and weft threads are beaten 
up; that is, pushed up together, so as to make the cloth firm 
and compact. 

The whole story of cotton cultivation may be told now as 
Auguste de St. Hilaire wrote 300 years ago: — **A11 the 
planter has to do is to burn off the woods and plant his 
seeds at the proper season." This is all that is really 
necessary to prepare the soil, except the occasional chopping 
out of weeds or sprouts. But the great drawback is the 
picking, which requires such an immense number of pickers 
that the other crops are neglected, and up to within a short 
time ago there seem^ed to be no way out of the difficulty 
caused by the slow and wearisome toil of cotton crop picking, 
which, occurring as it does at the hottest season of the year, 
makes the process all the more toilsome and laborious, and 



164 NORTH AMERICA. 



often subjects the planter to annoying delays from his negro 
helpers. 

But again the inventive genius of a scientific mind comes 
to the aid of patient labor. A firm in Texas is now intro- 
ducing a cotton-picking machine, the invention of Mr. 
Angus Campbell, which, after a thorough test in the cotton 
fields, through the picking seasons of 1890 and 1891, has 
demonstrated that it picks cotton at a saving of seventy-five 
to ninety per cent, of the cost of hand labor. 

This may seem incredulous to those w^ho have watched 
the process of cotton-picking, and know how delicate and 
intricate the operation is. But this machine has demon- 
strated its usefulness in the field, by doing work in the pres- 
ence of thousands of witnesses. 

It is difficult to give a lucid description of its construc- 
tion. It is mounted on two wheels, and drawn by two horses 
directly over the row to be picked, the plants, if tall, being 
slightly bent to allow the machine to pass over. 

The cotton is gathered by spindles, which, in series of 
nine, project from sixteen small cylinders, which revolve 
around a common center. At each revolution of this sys- 
tem of cylinders the spindles, which are furnished with 
brush-like surfaces, properly guarded, and are revolving on 
their own axis with great rapidity, are thrust between the 
branches of the plant, permeating every part, engaging the 
fibrous cotton, leaving the unopened bolls, blooms and 
leaves uninjured. After the spindles emerge from the plant 
they are presented to rapidly revolving brushes, which clean 



SOUTHERN STATES. 165 



them of cotton, an operation similar to the cleaning of gin 
saWvS. 

The cotton is thrown by centrifugal force to the rear into 
the receptacle, which has a capacity of about seventy- five 
pounds, and is made of heavy wire netting, allowing the dust 
and dirt to escape, but retaining the fibre. 

Each cylinder has an independent motion equal to about 
one-half a revolution on its own axis, which motion causes 
the spindles to remain relatively stationary to the plant 
while picking, and to enter and emerge from among the 
branches with the least possible disturbance, no combing or 
raking motion being produced. 

■ A valuable feature is a series of ribs, through which the 
spindles pass immediately on emerging from the plant, and 
while yet loaded with cotton, these ribs serve the purpose 
of preventing any branches or hulls being carried through 
them, but allow the fibre to pass, and are formed of heavy 
steel wire twisted with bristles, so as to form what might be 
termed a large round brush. 

Another feature of great value are the trailers. They are 
attached to the machine on each side, at the lowest point, 
and extend inward until they nearly meet, thus forming a 
carpet under the center of the machine, ready to catch any 
chance droppings of cotton, which are at once seized by the 
spindles and carried forward to the brushes, w^hich throw it 
into the cage, while hulls, twigs and leaves, dropping upon 
the trailers, are simply thrown upon the ground. 



166 NORTH AME:rICA. 



The driver, while sitting in his seat, can raise or lower the 
whole picking apparatus. 

The present cost of picking cotton is $12.50 per bale; the 
machine is capable of doing it for about $1.50, and the ma- 
chines are expected to average over one hundred bales each 
in a season. 

By the use of this picker the planter cannot only pick 
cleaner and more quickly, but he can do what he was never 
able to do before, extend his plantation, and pick every par- 
ticle of cotton at a very small cost. 

The introduction of the cotton picker w411 begin a new 
era in the cotton industry of the United States, and promises 
to create a furor in manufacturing movements. It is des- 
tined to revolutionize cotton raising in the South. With the 
present labor-saving machinery, cultivators and cotton chop- 
pers, one man, with two horses, can cultivate a hundred 
acres of cotton, and if he picks ten of it after it is culti- 
vated, he does w^ell ; but now, after he has planted and cul- 
tivated his hundred acres of cotton, w4th the same two 
horses with wdiich he made the crop, he can hitcli to his 
cotton picker, which costs not over $150 or $200, and pick 
the entire hundred acres as quickly as he could give it one 
plowing 

Think of the increase in the cotton trade, since Eli Whit- 
ney invented the cotton-gin ! Think of what it will be in 
future years, with the help of this latest invention ! 

Cotton picking by machinery ! It seems as though inven- 
tive genius could go no farther ; and yet the introduction of 



SOUTHERN STATEvS. 167 

the cotton-gin was looked upon as a marvel of vScience at the 
time. 

Mr. Campbell's name will go down to posterity among 
those who have made the ' ' lessening labor problem ' ' the 
study of their lives, and surely no name deserves to be more 
gratefully remembered than that of the man who has given 
us the cotton picker, and with it a greater stimulus to our 
great cotton industry. — [Revised by permission of the I^one 
Star Cotton Picking Co., from their circulars.] 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

SAN ANTONIO. 

San Antonio, one of the oldest Spanish towns in America, 
and the largest city in Texas, is built upon the site of the 
famous, historical Fort Alamo. 

It is said to have more the appearance of a country town 
in Spain, than of even a modern town of France or Ger- 
many. 

It contains a Roman Catholic College and Cathedral, a 
United States arsenal, large flouring mills, and several fac- 
tories. 

It has an extremely healthful climate. The inhabitants 
paradoxically say, " If you want to die here you must go 
somewhere else." 

Tell your pupils about the massacre of Alamo, and about 
the noted "Davy Crocket," who met his death at that time. 



168 NORTH AMERICA. 



GALVESTON. 

Galveston, the most important seaport of Texas, is pleas- 
antly situated on Galveston Island, on the south coast of 
Texas, at the opening of Galveston Bay, into the Gulf of 
Mexico. The harbor, though safe, is rather shallow. The 
island is only about 5 feet above the sea level. 

The manufacture of flour and oil, and the pressing of cot- 
ton, are the chief industries, next to its commerce. 

The island is bordered by hard, smooth beaches, which 
form magnificent drives. 

DALLAS. 

Dallas, on the Trinity River, in the northeastern part of 
the State, is an important railroad center and manufactur- 
ing town. 

Over 130 factories, of various kinds, employing more than 
3,000 hands, are in successful operation. Textile fabrics, 
flour, harness and lumber, are the principal articles manu- 
factured. 

AUSTIN. 

Austin, the capital of Texas, is situated on the Colorado 
River, near the center of the State. It is the shipping point 
for the produce of about 40 counties surrounding it. 

A dam 1,100 feet long, and 60 feet high, across the river, 
affords abundant water-power, which is utilized to furnish 
the city with water and light, and to furnish motive power 
for manufacturing industries. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 169 



The Capitol, next in size to the Capitol at Washington, is 
built of red Texas granite, and is one of the largest public 
buildings in the world. 

The State University, an^ various State benevolent and 
charitable institutions, are located in Austin. 

WACO. 

Waco, one of the growing manufacturing cities, is situ- 
ated on either side of the Brazos River, near the center of 
the State. 

It is^well supplied with all of the modern metropolitan 
conveniences, paved streets, water works, electric lights, 
electric street car lines, etc. 

It is an important shipping point for wool, cotton, live- 
stock and grain. The principal articles of manufacture are, 
woolen and cotton goods, cotton seed oil, vehicles, flour, 
harness and ice. 

Other rapidly growing towns are: Sherman, which has 
the largest cotton gin in the world; Gainsville, near the In- 
dian Territory boundary; ElPaso, on the Rio Grande, noted 
for its smelting works, trade with Mexico, and meat pre- 
serving industry; and Fort Worth on the Trinity River, 
west of Dallas, near the coal and iron mines, noted for the 
manufacture of steel, ice and flour. 

HOUSTON. 

Houston, named after the famous Sam Houston, a former 
governor, is situated at the head of navigation and tide- 



170 NORTH AMERICA. 



water, on Buffalo Bayou. It is the terminus of a number 
of diverging lines of railway. A ship channel, 200 feet wide 
and 1 2 feet deep, from Houston to the Gulf of Mexico, was 
recently constructed by the United States Government. 

Its being the distributing point, for all sorts of supplies, 
for eastern and southern Texas, gives it considerable com- 
merce. Lumber, cotton and hides, are the chief exports. 

The Galvestonians call the inhabitants of Houston * * mud 
turtles, ' ' and the Houston people reply by calling the citi- 
zens of Galveston ' ' land crabs. ' ' 

MUSTANGS. 

The wild horse of America, although now native to the 
soil, is descended from the tribes of wild horses that still 
roam the plains of Central Asia. When the discoverers of 
this continent first landed, there were no horses anywhere 
in North or South America. Centuries before, the horse 
had been introduced into European countries, from Asia, 
and had become common all over that continent. 

Columbus, on his second voyage, brought horses to the 
New World, and Narvaez landed a number of horses in 
Florida, in 1528. 

Cortez took horses with him to assist in the conquest of 
Mexico, as did Pizarro, in his conquest of Peru. The 
natives were greatly affrighted when they beheld these 
strange animals. At first they supposed that the man and 
the horse were one complete creature, something like the 



SOUTHERN STATES. 171 

centaur of which we read in ancient fable. And when they 
saw the rider dismount, and disengage himself from his 
steed, their amazement knew no bounds. 

In time, the savages learned that the horse was an animal 
that had been subdued by man, and that it was a separate 
creature; but they long dreaded the horse of the Spaniards 
as a beast of prey. And when the horses escaped from their 
masters, and made their way into the freedom of the forest, 
as they did after a space, the natives avoided them as some- 
thing to be shunned. The quarreling Spaniards neglected 
their steeds, which soon found homes on the plains of Mex- 
ico, South America, and the unexplored interior of North 
America. From these escaped animals have sprung the 
wild horses of America. The mustang, as the native horse 
of the North American continent is usually called, is gen- 
erally of a bright chestnut color. The horses marked with 
odd colors and patches are called "pinto," or "painted," 
by the Mexicans, and "calico," by the Americans. The 
mustang is smaller than the domesticated American horse; 
for we must remember that the larger horses now found in 
our stables are the direct descendants of later importations 
from Europe. 



172 



NORTH AMERICA. 



ARKANSAS. 



w ^ 



00 



Location. 

Comparative size. 

Lake St. Francis. 

' Mississippi. 
Missouri. 
Rivers. <! White. 

Red. 
t Washita. 

Mountains, Ozark. 

r Little Rock. 
Cities. < Hot Springs. 

(Ft. Smith. 



Products. 



r Animal. 
-< Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 



250. Arkansas diamonds. 

251. Lost Hills. 

252. Field crops. 

253. Natural resources. 

254. Shoals. 

255. Climate. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 173 

QUERIES. 

275. What are the healing properties of Hot Springs ? 

276. How was Lake St. Francis supposed to have been 
formed ? 

277. Which State exceeds Arkansas in the production of 
zinc? 

278. In Pike county there is an alabaster mountain. 
What is alabaster ? Its use ? 

279. Under what different names has Arkansas been 
known ? 

280. In what battle of the Rebellion in this State did the 
Indians take a hand ? 

281. Who was the first white man to traverse this region ? 

282. What place, at the head of navigation, on the 
Arkansas River? 

283. Where is Arkansas City ? 

284. How far north are Alligators found ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
HOT SPRINGS. 

These celebrated springs have a world-wide reputation. 

They were discovered about the year 1807. There are 
biitween 75 and 100 springs, varying in temperature from 90° 
to 150° Fahr. The town first built was located on what was 
supposed to be private land, but subsequently proved 
to be public land. 



174 NORTH AMERICA. 



By a court decision, 5,000 people were dispossessed of 
their homes, but were allowed to file their pre-emption 
claims, and thus become owners. 

The Hot Springs Mountain, on which are located the fam- 
ous springs, was reserved from sale. This reserve enclosed 
an area of 245 acres. The bath houses pay an annual rental 
to the United States Government of $5 for each bath-tub in 
use. 

A receiver collects rents for the Government. 

It is estimated that fifty thousand invalids and other per- 
sons visit these springs annually. 

Thousands visit who have no diseases. They go simply 
to see the marvelous work of nature, where the Great Physi- 
cian has stored so much healing property for afflicted man- 
kind 

Many wonderful cures of rheumatism, gout, stifihess of 
joints, mercurial diseases, scrofula and diseases of the skin, 
have been performed by the use of these waters. 

A heavy fog hangs over the springs and upon the moun- 
tain sides. 

LITTLE ROCK. 

I^ittle Rock, the capital, metropolis, and chief railroad 
center of Arkansas, is situated on the Arkansas River, about 
250 miles above its mouth. The site is on a small cliff 01 
40 to 50 feet elevation, hence the name. 

Two miles above, on the opposite side of the river, are 
cliffs four or five hundred feet high, called Big Rock. Lit- 



SOUTHERN STATES. 175 

tie Rock is the seat of a United States arsenal, of the State 
penitentiary, of the State institutions for the blind, deaf and 
dumb, and of a United States District Court. 

It contains many schools and churches. 

Population, in 1890, about 26,000. 

ARKANSAS RIVER. 

The source of the Arkansas River is in Colorado, at a 
height of 10,000 feet above sea level. 

It is over 2,000 miles in length. 

Near its source it passes through a canon 40 miles long, 
and through the prairie region the water entirely disappears 
in immense beds of sand. 

The White, Canadian, and Cinnamon, are the principal 
branches. 

Near the mouth, there are levees to restrain the spring 
floods. 

In times of flood, small steamboats ascend to Fort Gib- 
son, in the Indian Territory. The basin of the Arkansas 
River comprises nearly 200,000 square miles. 

SOILS 

The soils are of various kinds, viz. : The high and bot- 
tom lands of the Arkansas, the black alluvium, sandy and 
clayey looms, the sandy and clayey mixtures, the black 
waxy land, and the red lands. 



17f> NORTH AMERICA. 



There are immense tracks of submerged bottom lands, 
which can be brought under cultivation, by a system of 
drainage, and levees along the Mississippi River. The up- 
lands are varied by rolling prairies, which are generally well 
watered. The principal products of Arkansas are agricul- 
tural. 

The soils are so various, and the climate sucn, that almost 
anything can be raised. 

In the Washta valley there is an immense bed of superior 
oil stone. 

The northeastern part ol the State consists of continuous 
swamps, bayous and shallow lakes, covered with cypress 
and gum trees. 

The timber regions protect from the northers of the North, 
and the hot winds of the South. 

The soil varies from the most fertile to the most barren. 

The mammoth Hot Spring, in Fulton Count}-, discharges 
8,000 gallons of water per minute. 

Fort Smith commands the trade of the Indian Territory. 
The United States Court here has jurisdiction over that 
region. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 



177 



TENNESSEE. 



0} ui 









^ Bound Tennessee. 

r East Tennessee. 
Divisions. \ Middle Tennessee. 
(West Tennessee. 

r Mississippi. 
Rivers. < Tennessee. 
( Cumberland. 

'Allegheny. 
Cumberland. 
Missionary Ridge. 
Lookout. 



Mountains. < 



Cities. 



Products. 



^ Nashville. 
Memphis. 
Knoxville. 
Chattanooga. 

C Animal. 
} Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



SUGGKSTIVK KEY WORDS. 

256. Volunteer State. 

257. State of Franklin. 

258. Hermitage. 

259. Garden of Tennessee. 

260. District of Washington. 

261. Convict Labor. 

262. Big Bone Cave. 

263. The Enchanted Mountains. 



178 NORTH AMERICA. 



264. Devil's Pulpit. 

265. Stone Grave Men. 

que:riks. 

285. What minerals does Tennessee afford ? 

286. What county 6f Tennessee is circular in form ? Why ? 

287. What noted summer resort in Tennessee ? 

288. Locate 10 battlefields of the Rebellion in this State. 

289. Contrast the three sections of Tennessee surface, 
climate and productions. 

290. Which colony once claimed the territory now called 
Tennessee. 

291. Which two presidents are buried in Tennessee? 
Where? 

292. What city has the largest inland cotton market in 
the United States. 

293. What city was depopulated in 1878 by yellow fever? 

294. What is Bessemer steel ? 

295. What was the capital of Tennessee from 1796 to 
1816? 

296. What is the most important river port between St. 
lyouis and New Orleans ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

A TYPICAL STOCK FARM. 

"Belle Meade," a large and t3'pical estate, lies on Rich- 
land creek, a beautiful, clear stream of water, surrounded 
by noble hills and broad valley lands, deep set in blue grass. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 179 



5,250 acres comprise the farm. It has a park of 460 acres, 
in which are over 200 deer. Extensive improvements have 
been made since the war, for the care of thoroughbred 
horses. 

There are 100 brood mares, besides celebrated stallions, 
and sixty yearling colts, which will sell from $600 to $1,000 
each. There are also a herd of Shetland ponies. Cashmere 
goats, Southdown sheep, and herds of blooded cattle. 

Two creameries produce one-half ton of butter each 
month. 

" Belle Meade," has its own saw mill, grist mill, carpen- 
ter and blacksmith shops, all run with a full force. Previous 
to the war there were 60 head of buffalo and 30 elk here, 
but the soldiers found them suitable to their wants and taste. 
Most of the hired help in the place consist of the former 
slaves of General Harding. 

The help is so kindly treated that they cannot be lured 
away from the place. There are twenty-four miles of stone 
fencing. 

On the highlands are found blue grass and grazing ; on 
the lowlands, corn, oats, hay, etc. 

Fruit orchards are extensive and the varieties choice. 

NASHVILLE, 

The capital and metropolis of Tennessee, is situated on 
both sides of the Cumberland River, north of the center of 
the State. It is the hardware, dry goods and drug center 
of the South. 



180 NORTH AMERICA. 



$20,000,000 are invested in manufactories. 

The wholesale trade amounts to over $100,000,000 annu- 
ally. 

Nashville is the first hardwood market in the country. 

The iron interests are extensive, one firm, representing 
$9,000,000 in mining and manufacturing, in Tennessee and 
Northern Alabama. 

There are many schools, among which is a medical col- 
lege for negroes, the only institution of the kind in the 
world. Read your history for facts concerning Nashville 
during the Rebellion. 

CHATTANOOGA. 

Chattanooga is located on the Tennessee River, about 
six miles from the boundary line. 

Lookout Mountain overlooks the city from the south, and 
Missionary Ridge from the east. 

Chattanooga was one of the objective points in the Rebel- 
lion, and the battles fought in this vicinit}^ will be of in- 
terest to note carefully. 

There is a National cemetery here where 13,000 northern 
men found graves. This city lies on the natural highway 
of traffic between the East, West and South. 

Nine lines of railroads enter Chattanooga. The coal and 
iron industry of East Tennessee center here. 

This is the first place in the South where the Bessemer 
steel was manufactured. 



SOUTHERN STATES. 181 

The mills and factories number over loo, besides many 
small industries. This valley is fertile and well supplied 
with pure water. The mountain tops are heavily timbered. 

One of the United States Signal Service stations is located 
here. 

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. 

Lookout Mountain is located in the northwest corner of 
Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and on the south- 
ern boundary line of Tennessee. 

The elevation is i,6oo feet above sea-level. 

This mountain is almost a perpendicular cliff, directly over 
the Tennessee River, and commands a view that baffles 
description. From the point it is said that seven States may 
be seen. A narrow gauge railroad extends to the top of the 
mountain. The mountain extends south many miles in 
Alabama. There are two hotels, a college, cottages and 
cabins, on the summit of the mountain. 

Hooker's famous ''Battle Above the Clouds," will for- 
ever make Lookout Mountain a noted name in United 
States history. The surface of the mountain is well wooded, 
and has numerous springs. There are many curious rock 
, formations here. 

HARRIMAN. 

Harriman is a new city, 50 miles west of Knoxville, at 
Emery Gap, a natural gateway through the Cumberland 
plateau. 



182 NORTH AMERICA. 



This town was founded by General Clinton B. Fisk, in 
1890, and inside of one year it contained 4,000 people. 
Harriman is in the center of 1,000 square miles of land rich 
in iron, coal and other minerals. It has an abundance of 
valuable timber, and a bountiful supply of pure mountain 
water. Mills, factories and industries of many kinds are 
found here. There is a total prohibition of the liquor traffic 
in the title deeds. 

The scenery is beautiful and the climate healthful. 

STUDENT'S CAVE. 

This cave is in the Raccoon Mountain, the mouth of it 
is in Tennessee, although the greater part is in Georgia. 

The entrance is about half-way up the mountain side, and 
the descent to the floor is 70 feet perpendicular. 

The walls are of solid rock. 

The cave winds in a south w^esterly direction, and is sup- 
posed to form a connection with the great Nicojack cave, 
which is 20 miles distant. 

It was first explored in 1848, by the students of Mercer 
University, hence the name. 

TENNESSEE RIVER. 

The Tennessee River is formed oy the junction of the' 
Clinch and Holston Rivers, which rises in Southwest Vir- 
ginia. 

Including the largest tributarj^, the Holston, the Tennes- 
see River is over 1,000 miles in length. It is navigable for 



SOUTHERN STATES. 183 

large steamboats, from the Ohio to Muscle Shoals, about 260 
miles. There are small steamboats adove the shoals, which 
ply up the river for 500 miles. The Big- Bend includes a 
circuit of 300 miles in Alabama. 

The upper Tennessee has some ver}^ beautiful scenery. 

This river drains a territory of 40,000 square miles. 

Reelfoot lake is the largest lake in the State. 

It was formed during the earthquake of 181 1. 

On Duck River there is a pre-historic stone fort, which is 
an object of interest to tourists. 



PERTINENT QUESTIONS. 

1 . Are you reviewing continually ? 

2. Do you vary your exercises ? 

3. Are your pupils making notes of the work done? 

4. Do they consult the Gazetteer daily ? 

5. Can they rketch, in a few minutes, any state studied ? 

6. Do you outline every State for study, or have you 
taught your pupils to work alone in this matter ? 

7. Can your pupils change the queries to suggestive 
key words ? 

8. Can 3^ou change the key words to items of interest ? 

9. Do the class recite topically? 

10. Are you teaching your pupils to see the places men- 
tioned, or do thej^ see only black spots and lines on a map ? 



184 



NORTH AMERICA. 



AN KXKRCISE ON PRODUCTS. 

The following plan has been tried, with good results, by 
the authors. 

Write the names of products upon slips of paper, or card- 
board, thus: 



Rice. 



Sugar. 



Tobacco. 



Oranges. 



Hand them to the class and require them to state what 
they know concerning them. If but little is known let them 
take them to their desks, and stud}^ the topics for future 
work. It is surprising how much can be said, in one or 
two minutes, when you hiow what you are to say, and say 
all you can. When all have recited upon the topics, turn 
them over and let the pupils draw promiscuously. This will 
add variety. The following list is suggested: Corn, wheat, 
coal, gold, lead, iron, nickle, sponge, peaches, lemons, glass, 
etc., etc. 

The following points may be noted about each subject: 

1 . Where found ? 

2. Use? 

3. How obtained ? 

4. Exporting and importing. 

5. Commercial port. 

6. History. 



WESTERN STATES. 



185 



OHIO. 







♦. 




<u 




■M 




rt 




■*-» 




m 


•" 




(fi 


QJ 


<L» 


>> 


>. 


<U 


(LI 


M 


^ 


o 


o 


in 


^ 


W 


PP 




- 




^ 



' Location. 
Comparative size. 
Lake Erie. 



Rivers. 



Cities. 



O n' 

O M 



Products. 



Ohio. 

Muskingum. 
Scioto. 
Miamia. 
Maumee. 
^ Sandusky. 

f Cincinnati. 
I Columbus. 
! Cleveland. 
j Toledo. 

Sandusky. 
[ Dayton. 



Animal. 



J Domestic. 
1 Wild. 



r Grains. 
Vegetable. ^ Fruits. 
(Timber. 

rCoal. 
Iron. 
Salt. 
Oil. 
Lime. 
I Etc. 
^ Manufactured. 



Mineral. 



186 NORTH AMERICA. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

266. The Bay City. 

267. The Fire Lands. 

268. Western Reserve. 

269. National Road. 

270. Queen City of the West. 

271. The Forest City. 

272. Paris of America. 

273. Black Swamp. 

274. Blennerhassett Island. 



QUERIES. 

297. How many miles of lake shore ? 

298. What is the most prolific fishing stream in United 
States ? 

299. In what part of Ohio are the vineyards located? 
Why ? 

300. Where is the National Normal School in Ohio ? 

301. Which city of Ohio manufactures large quantities 
of school craj^on ? 

302 . What is craj^on ? How made ? 

303. Which has the longer da}^ Cincinnati or New Or- 
leans ? Why ? 

304. Kmery Arcade, in Cincinnati, is said to be the larg- 
est in United States. What is an arcade ? 

305 . Where is the Central Nation Soldiers' Home located ? 



WESTERN STATES. 187 



306. Name several noted men of Ohio. 

307. What Presidents have Ohio furnished ? 

308. Where are the largest v/agon works in the world ? 

309. Where is the largest fresh water fish-market? 

310. In what productions does Ohio excel all other 
States? 

ITKMS OF INTEREST. 

CINCINNATI. 

Cincinnati, the metropolis of Ohio, is pleasantly situated 
on the Ohio River, about midway between its mouth and 
source. 

It resembles I^ondon somewhat by its river fogs, and the 
smoke of its foundries and factories. 

In 1790 General St. Clair became governor of the North- 
west Territory, and he it was that gave the cit}^ its present 
name, from the order to which he belonged. One portion 
of the city, which is densely populated with Germans, is 
known as " Over the Rhine." In this vicinity are the great 
breweries of Cincinnati. 

The cit}^ is well supplied with public parks; one, the Eden 
Park, which is sometimes called the " Garden of Kden," 
contains 216 acres, and commands splendid views of the sur- 
rounding country, the river and cit}^ The Suspension 
Bridge, which connects Cincinnati with Covington, is an 
object of interest. It stands 100 feet above low water mark, 



188 NORTH AMERICA. 



and cost about |2, 000,000. A few of the noted buildings 
here are the Government Building, County Court House, 
Chamber of Commerce, Masonic Temple, Exposition Build- 
ing, Music Hall, numerous noted schools and colleges, and 
many magnificent churches. 

Cincinnati stands among the great manufacturing cities of 
our country. 

She makes what the people of Ohio and other States need, 
and so long as the river, railroads and canal exchange her 
products for the cotton of the South, the grain of North and 
West, the stock and dairy products of the blue grass region, 
her financial success and prosperity are assured. 

In 1883 the Ohio River rose 66 feet above low water mark, 
destroying millions of dollars worth of property. 

Eight square miles of Cincinnati were under water. 

LAKE ERIE. 

lyake Erie is elliptical in shape, and is the only one of the 
great lakes said to have any current. It is nearly 250 miles 
long by 40 miles average width, with an area of over 9,000 
square miles. It is the most shallow of the great lakes, and 
the most dangerous of the fresh water seas. * ' The surplus 
waters of the basins of Superior, Huron and Michigan, flow 
across the plate of Erie into the deep bowl of Ontario." 
The principal tributaries are the Detroit, Raisin, Maumee, 
Sandusky and Cuyahogo Rivers. 

The outlet is the Niagara River. 



WESTERN STATES. 189 



The harbors are: Dunkirk and Buffalo, in New York; 
Erie, in Pennsylvania; and Sandusky, Cleveland and Toledo 
in Ohio. The Lake was named from the Erie Indians (tribe 
of the cat), who were exterminated in a single day by the 
warlike Iroquois, but the name lives in the lake, town, canal 
and railroad. 

Buffalo, named from the American bison, which roamed 
along the lake shore as late as 1720, is at the foot of the 
lake and has the largest harbor. The Erie canal connects 
with the lake here. 

The city of Erie supplies the greater part of the coal used 
on the lakes. Navigation is closed in winter on account of 
ice. 

Read in class the description of the battle of Lake Erie, 
from the histories, and of John Ma}- nard, the pilot of Lake 
Erie. Look up the record of the Griffin, the first boat on 
the lakes. Tell of Johnson Island, where Confederate pris- 
oners were confined during the Rebellion. 

OHIO RIVER. 

0-he-yo, the Wyandot word means " Fair to look upon." 

The French called it the La Belle Riviere. 

The Ohio River is formed by the Alleghany (clear water) 
and the Monongahela (Falling-in-banks) Rivers. The river 
constantly changes its direction; every turn presents a new 
view, now a wall of hills, now a woody gorge, now beauti- 
ful meadows, now almost doubling back on its track; the 



190 NORTH AMERICA. 



river actually running north, south, east and west, until a 
person, traveling on a boat, loses his bearing entirely, as 
the author can testify. The Ohio has the most uniform 
current of any river known ; it never seems in a hurry; it 
loiters among the coal and iron fields of Pennsylvania, the 
hills of West Virginia, the farms of Ohio, and the meadows 
of Kentucky ; it curves north to accommodate Cincinnati ; 
it bends south to receive the twin rivers, and finally mixes 
with the Mississippi River, one thousand miles above the 
Gulf. Not like the rushing streams of New England, nor 
the sleeping, sluggish streams of the South, the Ohio has a 
character peculiarly her own. The French claimed the Ohio 
valley, and took possession by depositing leaden plates along 
the shores of the Ohio. 

Three of these plates have been found, bearing this in- 
scription: "In the year 1750, we, Celeron, commander-in- 
chief of New France, to establish tranquility in certain 
Indian villages, hav^e buried this plate on the Beautiful 
River as a monument of renewal of possession which we 
have taken of said river and its tributaries, and of all the 
land on both sides ; inasmuch as the preceding kings of 
France have engaged it, and maintained it b}^ their arms, 
and by treatise, especially by those of Ryswick, Utrecht 
and Aix-la-Chapelle. 

The Ohio is about 1,000 miles long, and carries a greater 
volume of water than an}^ other tributary of the Mississippi. 

Give the names of principal tributaries and cities on the 
Ohio River. 



WESTERN STATES. 191 

CLEVELAND. 

Cleveland is the second city in size in the State, and the 
northern terminus of the Ohio canal. The city is built on 
an elevated plain, overlooking the lake. The Cayahoga 
River passes through the city, affording excellent harbor 
facilities. A breakwater, costing $1,200,000, west of the 
river's mouth, incloses 180 acres of water. 

The city is supplied with lake water. The Standard Oil 
Company have their headquarters here. In Cleveland are 
found 5 ship yards, 20 oil works, 150 establishments of steel 
and iron, extensive lumber yards, numerous schools, colleges 
of high order, and magnificent buildings, both public and 
private. In 1852 the first railroad whistle was heard in 
Cleveland, and in 1890 the population was 262,000. 

Cleveland produces more refined petroleum than any other 
city in the world. (Possibly Pittsburgh excepted.) 

"PORKOPOLIS." 

Cincinnati, geographically located in the center of one of 
the best stock farming regions, received the above name on 
account of its pork packing. 

It is said that 50 men will slaughter over i , 500 hogs in a 
day in a single establishment. Each man has his own 
special work to perform, the labor being proportioned among 
the pen-men, knockers-down, stickers, scalders, bristle- 
snatchers, scrapers, shavers, gamble men, gutters, hose-boys, 



192 NORTH AMERICA. 



slide-boys, splitters, cutters, weighers, cleavers, knife-men, 
ham- trimmers, shoulder- trimmers, packers, salters, brand- 
ers, book-keepers, porters and draymen. 

These men, once under headway, dispose of a hog in less 
than one-half minute. 

COLUMBUS. 

Columbus, the capital of Ohio, is a flourishing city, 
located near the center of the state. 

Not including Washington, Columbus is not excelled by 
any city in the United States for its numerous and important 
public buildings. 

The State Capitol is one of the largest in the United 
States. 

The State penitentiary^ covers six acres, not the largest, 
but one of the safest in the countr>\ 

The deaf and dumb, the blind, and lunatic asylums are 
located here. A United States arsenal, and other Govern- 
ment buildings are situated on handsome and well wooded 
grounds, which form a suburb of the city. The canal and 
fifteen lines of railroad center here. In 1887 $190,000,000 
were invested in the coal business, iron industry, and other 
manufacturing interests. The State House well is 2,775 
feet deep, and the temperature of the water is 91 degrees 
Fahr. 



WESTERN STATES. 193 

MOUND BUILDERS. 

It has been estimated that 10,000 mounds exist in this 
State alone. In 1845 a careful and scientific survey was be- 
gun, and continued for two years 

At Fort Hill was one noted mound, occupying the sum- 
mit of a hill nearly 500 feet high. 

The wall and ditch inclosed forty-eight acres. 

Trees were growing on this wall which are estimated to 
be 1,000 years of age. 

On the Little Miami is another work, called Fort Ancient, 
in which the walls are four miles in length and twenty 
feet high In places. The State of Ohio has bought the 
site of this fort, and it will be preserved as a public park. 

In the Scioto Valley is another one embracing one hun- 
dred and twenty acres, and near its mouth are earthworks 
extending at least twenty miles. The Newark works are 
more extensive and better known than others. They cover 
hundreds of acres. 



194 



NORTH AMERICA. 

B 



INDIANA. 



*5o 'So 
o o 
o o 

WW 



a 00 



f lyocation. 
Comparative size. 
Lake Michigan. 



Rivers. 






Cities. 



Products. 



f Ohio. 
I Wabash. 
{ White. 
I Maumee. 
1^ Kankakee. 

Indianapolis. 
Terre Haute. 
La Fayette. 
Ft. Wayne. 
Richmond. 
New Albany 
Evansville. 

Animal. 

Vegetable. 

Mineral. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

275. The Railroad City. 

276. Crescent City of Indiana. 

277. The Quaker City of the West. 

278. Epsom Salt Cave. 

279. Indiana Block Coal. 

280. The Drowned Lands. 

281. Cranberry Marshes. 

282. The Tall Sycamore of the Wabash. 



WESTERN STATE?. 195 



QUERIES. 

311. What is lime? How made? Its uses ? 

312. What is the only lake port of Indiana? 

313. How is glass made? 

314. What towns of Indiana are supplied with natural 
gas? 

315. What noted Indian battle ground in the state? 

316. Where was the first settlement made? 

317. Who are the literary men of Indiana? 

318. Tell of the "Hoosier Schoolmaster" and his trials. 

319. What is worthy of note about Delphi ? 

320. In what things does Indiana excel all other States? 

321. Which portion of Indiana is hilly ? 

322. What is the largest city in the United States not on 
navigable waters ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
INDIANAPOLIS. 

The capital and metropolis of Indiana is located near the 
geographical center of the State. It is on the old National 
Road, and in the direct line of communication between the 
East and West, hence enjoys excellent commercial advan- 
tages. Fifteen lines of railroad center here. 

An abundance of pure water is obtained from a subterra- 
nean lake. 

Many beautiful public parks, Government buildings. State 
Institutions, all combine to make Indianapolis one of the 



196 NORTH AMERICA. 



handsomest cities of the United States. The grain, the 
mercantile and manufacturing interests are important and 
extensive. Indianapolis is in the vicinity of the coal fields, 
and the region noted for black walnut. 

In public and sectarian schools, universities and benevo- 
lent institutions, Indianapolis is well equipped. 

EVANSVILLE. 

Evansville is the second cit}^ of Indiana in size. 

It is a port of entry and controls a large river trade. 
There are six coal mines within the city, and it is one of the 
largest hardwood markets in our country. The manufac- 
tories number nearly 500, which includes almost everything 
made of wood and iron. 

The population is over 50,000. 

NEW ALBANY. 

New Albany is situated below the falls of the Ohio, and 
nearly opposite lyouisville, Kentucky. The water power is 
second to none in the West. 

Manufacturing is the chief industry of the city. 

The largest glass works in the United States are located 
here. 

The fine polished plate glass is a specialty of these works. 

The wholesale business is extensive. The river trade ex- 
ceeds twenty millions annually. 



WEvSTERN STATEvS. 197 



SOUTH BEND. 

South Bend, the second city in the State in manufacturing, 
is located on the 'St. Joseph's River. One wagon factory 
covers 83 acres, and manufactures 40,000 wagons annually. 

The same compau}^ have carriage works covering three 
ai:d one-half acres. There are plow works, clover-huller 
works, steel skein works, toy wagon and croquet factory, 
besides mills of many kinds. The entire output for 1890 
aggregated nearly $11,000,000. 

The city is supplied with water from sixteen artesian 
wells. Gravel banks in this vicinity are used in making 
excellent roads. 

MARION. 

Marion is a prosperous city of modern growth. 

There are twentj^-one wells of natural gas within the city 
limits. 

Twenty-seven factories of various kinds are located here. 

One pressed brick factory makes 20,000,000 bricks annu- 
ally. Here we find the Soldier's Home and a Normal 
School. 

WYANDOTTE CAVE. 

This cave is the most remarkable natural curiosity in the 
State. It rivals in some respects, the more famous Mam- 
moth Cave of Kentucky. 



198 NORTH AMERICA. 



The cave is dry and the stalagmites and stalactites exceed 
in size and beauty those of the Mammoth cave. 

The Mammoth Hall is 350 feet long by 245 feet high, and 
contains an elevation 175 feet high, on which stand several 
large stalagmites, one of which is pure white and is called 
Lot's Wife. 

The ' 'snow banks' ' are formed by fine, loose crystals of 
alabaster. In places the stones and floors are covered with 
the crystals of epsom salts. 

HAMER'S CAVE. 

Hamer's cave is entered on the side of a hill forty-five feet 
above the valley, and is situated about two miles east of 
Mitchell. The floor is level, six feet wide and covered with 
a swift stream of water eight inches deep, which at places 
is increased to twenty feet. A boat must be used to explore 
it and hence very few ever venture into its passages. Three- 
fourths of a mile from the door the whole stream rushes down 
an incline only three feet wide with great violence and a 
noise that fills the entire cave. The boat may be carried 
above this rush of waters and after passing along for about 
three hundred feet a person comes to what is called the 
grand cascade, beyond which the cave is low, wet and full 
of rushing water. Eyeless fish, crawfish and other crusta- 
ceans are caught in this cave, which has an outlet into the 
grand amphitheatre in which is situated a mill which is run 
by a power given by the water carried from the mouth of the 



WESTERN STATES. 199 



cave for a distance of over one hundred yards. The top of 
the hill over this cave extends about sixty feet above the 
opening into the cave, and traveling about a quarter of a 
mile eastward the explorer finds himself at the entrance of 
Donnelson's cave, from which is discharged a large stream 
of water, which was used by the former proprietor to drive a 
woolen, grist and saw mill many years ago. 



CENTER OF POPULATION. 

When the first U. S. census was taken in 1790 the center 
of population was located at a point about 2 3 miles east of Bal- 
timore. From that time to 1890 the center always traveled 
westward, but sometimes a little north and again a little 
south of the preceding center. In 1890 the center of popula- 
tion was located, by the census geographer, at a point a short 
distance southwest of Greensburg in southern Indiana. This 
town is about 500 miles due west of the center of population in 
1790, making an average annual rate of about five miles. 
The center of population in 1890 was marked by a stone 
monument ten feet high and about four feet square at the 
base. It was built by the Chicago Herald, and has on its 
face this inscription: "Center of population, 1890. I^atitude 
39°, 11', 56"; longitude 85° 32', 53." Erected by the Chicago 
Herald. 



200 



NORTH AMERICA. 





ILLINOIS. 


aJ 


r Border. | ft^t/^' 
1 Waters. 




r Length. 

Size. J Width. 
( Area. 


1 ^ 
H to 


Number of inhabitants. 
Rivers. Name and describe 8. 
Lakes. Name and locate 2. 




Cities. Name, locate and tell important 


- 


facts about lo. 




Canals. Name and locate 2. 






A«;«,«io (Domestic. 5. 
Animals. | ^.^^ 5 


00 

. I-H 


Products. < 


r Grains. 5. 

Vegetable. X Fruits. 10. 

(Timber. 10. 


rn 00 




Minerals. 5. 
^ Manufacturers. 5. 



SUGGKSTIVB KEY WORDS. 



283. American Bottoms. 

284. Hennepin Canal. 

285. Black Hawk's Tower. 

286. The Flower City. 

287. The Gem City. 

288. The Evergeen City. 

289. Cave in the Rock. 



WESTERN STATES. 201 



290. The Great Ship Canal. 

291. lyatter Day Sairts. 

292. The Garden City. 

293. "The River Divine." 

294. Earthquake 181 1. 
295- ^'Kgypt." 

296. Indian Mound. 

297. The Lead City. 

298. World's Fair. 

QUERIES. 

323. What colonies owned the North- West Territory ? 

324. What was the "Great Bird of Alton ? " 

325. What were the Black Laws ? 

326. How much land did the Illinois Central Railroad 
receive from the State ? 

327. What returns, to the State, does the Illinois Central 
make every year ? 

328. Does Lake Michigan ever freeze over ? 

329. How much lake coast in Illinois ? 

330. What and where are the Trembling Lands ? 

331. Where is the longest continuous street-car line in 
United States ? 

332. In what respects does Chicago lead the world ? 

333. Where is coke manufactured in Illinois ? 

334. What is the proper name for the Okaw River ? 

335. Who were the " Prairie Banditti ? " 

336. What names in Illinois recall historical characters? 



202 NORTH AMERICA. 



337- What names are of Indian origin? 

338. How is the Illinois and Michigan Canal kept in 
repair ? 

339. Where are the watch factories in Illinois ? 

340. Name the 10 largest cities in this State. 

341. Does Illinois own an}^ of the Ohio River? Of the 
Mississippi River ? Of Lake Michigan ? 

342. How are the foundations laid for the large buildings 
in Chicago? 

343. Where is petroleum found in this State ? 

344. Sketch at least five important railroads in a map of 
Illinois, and locate the cities on each. 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

STATE INSTITUTIONS. 

Educational — 

University of Illinois, Champaign. 

State Normal Schools, { carbondale. 
Charitable — 

Asylum for the Blind, ") 

" " " Deaf and Dumb, [- Jacksonville. 
" " " Insane. J 

C Kankakee. 
Asylums for the Insane, -| Elgin. 

(Anna. 

Institute for the Feeble Minded, Lincoln. 

Eye and Ear Infirmary, Chicago. 

Soldiers' Home, Quincy 



WESTERN STATES. 



203 



Soldiers' Orphans' Home, Normal. 
Reformatory and Penal — 

State Reformatory, Pontiac. 



State Penitentiaries, 



f Joliet. 
1 Chester. 



"SUCKERS." 

Travelers, in early days, when the season was dry, were 
troubled to find water on these great prairies. 

In low places, swamps and small streams, the crawfish 
make deep holes in the ground, down to water, during the 
dry season. 

Persons setting out on a long journey provided themselves 
with long, hollow reeds, which they thrust into the crawfish 
holes, and thus procured a supply of generally pure water. 

The word ' ' suckers ' ' is derived from the manner in which 
the supply was obtained. 

Mound Builders. 
Indians. 
Florida, 1543. 
Virginia, 1606. 
Louisiana, 1682. 
^ Virginia, 1763. 
County of Illinois, 1779. 
Northwest Territory, 1787. 
Territory of Indiana, 1800. 
Territory of Illinois, 1809. 
State of Illinois, 18 18. 



o 



o 

a 

Xfi 

J2 



204 NORTH AMERICA. 



THE MOUND BUILDERS. 

The earliest settlers of Illinois can be traced here and 
there by earth mounds, by stone implements, and by other 
relics of their work. Many mounds are found along the 
Mississippi, Fox, and Rock Rivers. In the "American 
Bottoms ' ' are scores of mounds of different sizes and forms. 
At Cahokia is one that covers six acres, and it is estimated 
to contain 20,0000,000 cubic feet. Almost over the entire 
State are found arrow-heads, spear-heads, awls, axes, knives, 
etc. Archaeologists have many times dug into and explored 
these mounds, to find specimens of their art. They have 
found bones, tools of flint and copper, many stone weapons, 
and carved work in great quantities, such as pipes, vases, 
pitchers, beads, etc. These people selected the best farming 
countr}^ in America for their homes, and such sites for their 
structures as civilized men select for their great cities, viz: 
Cincinnati, St. Louis and Milwaukee. They were farmers, 
no doubt, judging from their location; hunters and warriors 
from their weapons; religious from their altars, temples and 
idols; and they worked in stone, shells and copper, as shown 
by their specimens. This interesting subject must be left, 
for space forbids. 

INDIANS. 

The Illinois Indians, composed of several families, num- 
bering all told M,ooo strong, were located within the pres- 
ent limits of fke State. The different families were the 



WESTERN STATES. 205 



Kaskaskias, Cahokias, Tamaroas, Michiganies, and the 
Peorias. The Saxes, Foxes, and Kickapoos warred with 
them and drove them southward. These Indians were 
friendly to the French, and assisted them in their wars and 
explorations. When the English obtained control, the In- 
dians sold out, moved west again and again, until now what 
remains of them may be found on a reservation in Kansas 
and Indian Territor3^ Draw an outline map of Illinois and 
locate the Indian tribes, by writing the name on the portion 
occupied by each. Tell of the Indian legends, of stories 
connected with Illinois, of their habits and customs, and 
their treatment by the whites. 

Here area few of the Indian chiefs' names: Black Part- 
ridge, Black Bird, Shabbona, Black Hawk, White Hair, 
South Wind, Pipe Bird, Sun Fish, Great Speaker, Little 
Sauk, etc. 

FLORIDA. 

The Spanish claims extended northward indefinitely. By 
the explorations of DeSoto, and the reports of his follow- 
ers, this name has been sometimes applied to territory as far 
north as Illinois. 

VIRGINIA. 

The grant of land, given by King James, to the I<ondon 
Company, embraced the southern portion of this State, 
while that of the north was claimed by the Plymouth Com- 
pany. 



206 NORTH AMERICA. 



LOUISIANA. 

The French explored this region first, and named it 
I^ouisiana, in honor of their king. Mobile was the first 
capital, and D* Artaquette its first governor. Crozat, Cadil- 
lac, and others followed. The famous Mississippi Company, 
under John I^aw's management, came next. By him Ft. 
Chartres was built, the strongest fortification in the Missis- 
sippi valley. Ere the bubble burst Illinois had a population 
of over 5,000 white people. 

In an outline map locate the following French forts and 
settlements: Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Prairie du Rocher; Forts 
Chartres, St. lyouis, St. Phillip, and Creveceour. 

Trace, by dotted lines, the routes of Marquette, Henne- 
pin, lyaSalle and Joliet, on the map. 

Tell of the Jesuit Fathers : Mermet, of Kaskaskia; Mar- 
est, of Peoria; Charlevoix, Binneteau, and others. 



VIRGINIA. 

After the close of the French and Indian war, this region 
became a portion of territory controlled by the Virginia 
Colony. This did not last long. 

COUNTY OF ILLINOIS. 

The County of Illinois w^as formed in 1779, with Patrick 
Henry as its first governor. 



WESTERN STATES. 207 



NORTHWEST TERRITORY. 

By the famous compact of 1787, this territory became sep- 
arated from the Colonies. Marietta was the capital and 
General Arthur St. Clair the governor. 

Review "The Ordinance of 1787," and explain how and 
why Dr. Manasseh Cutler succeeded in obtaining such pro- 
visions as it contains. 

TERRITORY OF INDIANA. 

When Ohio was ready for statehood, the remaining por- 
tion, west of the Wabash River, was known under the above 
name. W. H. Hamson was the first governor, with Vin- 
cennes for the capital. 

TERRITORY OF ILLINOIS. 

In 1809 this territory was formed, with Ninian Edwards 
as first governor. Kaskaskia was the capital. 

ILLINOIS. 

In April, 18 18, the bill passed, admitting Illinois as a 
State. 

Shadrach Bond was elected governor, and Pierre Menard 
lieutenant-governor. Vandalia was selected for the capital 
for twenty years. The first session of the State Legislature 
met in Kaskaskia, at a cost of $13.50. 



208 NORTH AMERICA. 



CHICAGO. 

Chicago, the metropolis of Illinois and second city of the 
United States, is situated on the southwestern shore of I^ake 
Michigan. It covers an area of over 185 square miles, and 
has a population of over 1,400,000. 

The city was chartered in 1837, and contrasting with the 
present, it is safe to say it is the most remarkable city in the 
world for its rapid growth. 

Being built upon a low, marshy plain, it became necessary 
to raise the city. This was done by one of the most extraordi- 
nary experiments ever undertaken anywhere in the known 
world. 

I^arge hotels, immense business structures, and even whole 
blocks were raised by jack-screws to the required level, from 
six to ten feet. 

The lake shore was filled in, the breakwater built, and 
artificial structures erected to keep out the water of the 
lake. 

The city sewerage, which now flows partly into I^ake 
Michigan and partly into the Illinois River, in time of low 
water is to be directed entirely by the Great Ship Canal 
through the Illinois into the Mississippi River. 

The water supply is obtained from tunnels which extend 
two miles and five miles, respectively, under the lake to 
enclosures, where the water fills them through grated cylin- 
ders. The cribs mark the source of the water supply 

Twenty-five lines of railroads center in Chicago. Elevated 



WESTERN STATES. 209 



railroads and street car lines lead to all parts of the city. 

Of the many public buildings space forbids more than a 
mere mention of a few of them, viz: 

Masonic temple, twenty-one stories high. The Auditor- 
ium, largest theatre in the world, the tower of which is 270 
feet high; the Board of Trade, the market for Western pro- 
duce; County Court House and City Hall, which cost about 
$6,000,000; Tacoma, Rookery, Monadnock and other busi- 
ness buildings; the Postoffice valued at $5,000,000; the 
large hotels, railroad depots, wholesale houses, retail stores, 
one of which has in its nine stories thirteen acres of flooring. 
~ Six parks of Chicago contain over 2,000 acres, which are 
connected by drives 250 feet wide and thirty miles long. , 

There are many places of amusement, museums, theatres^ 
Battle of Gettysburg, Libby Prison, etc. The historical in- 
cidents connected with the city that should be mentioned are 
Fort Dearborn Massacre, Chicago fire of 187 1, the railroad 
strike, Anarchists and World's Fair. 



210 



NORTH AMERICA. 



SKETCH OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER. 




Valley of the Illinois R, 



WESTERN STATES. 



211 



KKY. 



I. Lake Michigan. 


21. 


Peoria. 


2. Chicago. 


22. 


Pekin. 


3. Des Plaines R. 


23- 


Spoon R. 


4. Joliet. 


24. 


Galesburg. 


5. Kankakee R. 


25. 


Sangamon R. 


6. Kankakee. 


26. 


North Br. of Sangamon R, 


7. 111. and Mich. Canal. 


27. 


Bloomington. 


8. Fox Lake. 


28. 


Normal. 


9. Elgin. 


29. 


Lincoln. 


10. Aurora. 


30- 


Champaign. 


II. Ottawa. 


31- 


South Br. of Sangamon R. 


12. Vermilion R. 


32. 


Decatur. 


13. Pontiac. 


33- 


Springfield. 


14. Streator. 


34- 


Jacksonville. 


15. Starved Rock. 


35- 


Mississippi R. 


16. Utica. 


36. 


Alton. 


17. LaSalle. 


37. 


St. Louis. 


18. Peru. 


38. 


Illinois R. 


19. Hennepin. 


39. 


E. St. Louis. 


20. Peoria Lake. 







ATRIP DOWN THE ILLINOIS RIVER. 

The Des Piaines or Iroquois River rises in Wisconsin, and 
its junction with the Kankakee forms the Illinois River. It 
was named by the French from a species of maple which 
grows along its banks. 



212 • NORTH AMERICA. 



Along this river runs the Illinois and Michigan canal. It 
crosses the river at Joliet. In 1816 the Indians granted a 
strip of land for the purpose of a canal which the government 
was to construct. This canal was chartered in 1836 and 
opened in 1848 at a total cost of $6,400,000. It is ninety-six 
miles long. Every alternate section for five miles each side 
of the canal was granted to aid in the construction. This 
land and the tolls paid out the expense in 187 1. The tolls 
now more than pay the keeping of the canal in repair. 

Who owns the canal ? How is it controlled ? What is 
the extent of business done ? 

Joliet was named after the French explorer. In this city 
are located the northern state penitentiary, the largest wire 
mills in the state, oatmeal and flour mills, the Illinois Steel 
Co., a plant which produces weekly 3,000 tons of steel 
rails, and the noted quarries, which have furnished stone for 
many public buildings in the State. 

Joliet possesses a very fine court house. 

The Kankakee River rises in Indiana and flows through a 
low, flat, marshy country, noted for its berry marshes and 
hunting and fishing grounds. Kankakee is the only city of 
note on this river. The stone quarries are valuable. It is 
the seat of an asylum for the insane. 

Much of the barren and marshy region is being reclaimed 
by drainage and brought under cultivation. 

Fox River is the first tributary of the Illinois River. It 
is the outlet of Fox Lake and flows through a fine country, 



WESTERN STATES. 213 



noted particularly for its dairy and agricultural products. 
The water power of this river is important. 

Elgin is noted for its watch factory, which employs about 
3,000 persons, who turn out between 400 and 500 watches 
daily. Cheese and milk condensing factories are found here. 
Special trains are run to Chicago called "milk trains," which 
supply the city from this dairy region. 

Aurora is a thriving town on the Fox River. It contains 
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy machine shops and has 
many factories of various kinds. The schools are of a high 
order and among the best in the State. 

Near the mouth of the Fox River Ottawa is situated. This 
enterprising city contains glass works, cutlery works, a starch 
manufactory and other industries. It is a noted grain mar- 
ket. 

"It is remarkable that the first discovery of coal in Amer- 
ica, of which there is any account in a printed book, was made 
so far in the interior as Illinois, by Father Hennepin, over 
200 years ago." Hennepin's Journal of 1698, locates a coal 
mine near Ottawa where coal comes to the surface along the 
bluffs. 

A few miles below Ottawa on the north side of the river is 
Buffalo Rock, so called from the practice of the Indians de- 
coying the Buffaloes to this promontory and driving them 
over the bluff into the river. Still lower down the river -is 
I^overs' Leap, with its Indian tradition, and the historic 
place called Starved Rock, which commemorates the last sad 
tragedy of the Illinois Indians. 



214 NORTH AMERICA. 



Weakened by internal quarrels and diminished in num- 
bers, the entire tribe was warred upon by the Ottawas, Shaw- 
nees, Kickapoos andMiamis. Outnumbered and worsted in 
a conflict on the prairie, they retreated to this bluff, where 
an attack could be easily repulsed. 

From th3 summit of the rock they viewed the ruins of their 
village and crops of ripe corn, while, for fifteen days they 
famished for food and died of thirst for water which flowed 
at the base of the rock, about 150 feet below. 

The haven of safety which they sought thus became their 
tomb and monument. In 1675 Father Marquette first saw 
the great village of the Illinois Indians, called Kaskaskia, 
situated on the plain opposite Starved Rock. La Salle for- 
tified the rock in 1682 by building a palisade on the summit. 
He named it Fort St. Louis. 

A company now own the rock and 360 acres of surround- 
ing land. It is being fitted for a summer pleasure resort. 
A fine hotel and a number of cottages are found at the west 
base of the rock. 

There is an excellent supply of artesian water found here. 
An American flag floats from a tower on the top of the rock, 
from which the view is picturesquely grand. There is soon 
to be an electric railroad built from South Ottawa to the rock. 

Utica is built on the site of the first Indian Mission in Ill- 
inois, erected by Father Marquette in 1675. 

It is also noted for its cement works. 

A few miles below, the Vermilion River empties into the 
Illinois. Upon this stream are located Streator, noted for 



WESTERN STATES. 215 



coal mines and glass works, and Pontiac, the seat of the 
State Reformatory. 

Near this river are Bailey's Falls and the famous Deer 
Park. 

At the former may be seen the rainbow when the sun 
shines upon the spray as it falls over a precipice of some forty 
feet. 

At the foot of the falls are some very large detached rocks 
that have been broken from the fissured ledge above. 

Deer Park is so called from the custom of the Indians driv- 
ing the deer into it and then slaughtering them. There is 
only one passage out and that only a few rods wide. 

The walls are from forty to seventy-five feet in height. 

Across the river from the mouth of the Vermilion is La 
Salle, and a mile below is Peru City. 

These cities are sometimes called the "twin cities," 
although the citizens of La Salle are mainly Irish, while 
those of Peru are Germans. 

At La Salle the Illinois and Michigan canal terminates. 

Here are found the largest zinc works in America. The 
ore used is shipped in by railroad from Missouri and Ken- 
tucky. The coal trade is very important, as is also the glass 
industry. 

Peru has a plow factory, zinc works, coal mines and large 
ice houses. 

Passing down we reach the big bend of the Illinois River 
and in this turn the town of Hennepin is situated. 



216 NORTH AMERICA. 

— « 



This town was once an important trading post, in the 
days before railroads. Just above the town the Hennepin 
Canal connects with the river. Webster, Van Buren and 
other celebrities have visited this place. Here was located 
one of the underground railroad stations in anti-bellum days. 
It was named after Father Hennepin. 

A few miles below, at Henry, there is a government dam, 
to assist in the navigation of the river above. Steamboats 
pass the dam by means of a lock. 

Toll is collected of all passing boats. Lower down we 
come to that beautiful expansion of the Illinois River called 
Peoria Lake. 

It is about 20 miles in length, and from one-and-a-half to 
two miles wide. 

Peoria, " the whisky city," is just below the lake. It is 
built on the site of old Fort Creve Coeur (Broken Heart). 
The fort built here was one of the first steps taken towards 
a permanent settlement in Illinois (1680). Peoria is noted 
for its com market, its breweries, its distilleries, and its vari- 
ous manufactures. Peoria pays more revenue on distilled 
spirits than any other city in United States. 

Pekin, still lower down, but on the opposite side of the 
river, follows in the foot-steps of Peoria, so far as industries 
are concerned. 

Next we reach the mouth of a stream called Spoon River, 
on which is found Galesburg, in the midst of a good agri- 
cultural country. 

It has large factories for cars, wagons, carriages, etc. 



WESTERN STATES. 217 

It is the seat of Knox College and I^ombard University. 

The Sangamon is the largest tributary of the Illinois 
River, and near its source we find Champaign. Champaign 
is located in the broom corn region of Illinois, and is the 
seat of the Illinois University. 

Passing down the Sangamon we reach Decatur, which is 
located geographically in the center of the State. 

The city was named in honor of Commodore Stephen 
Decatur. This city possesses most of the modern improve- 
ments that belong to metropolitan cities. 

Decatur is the center of the great coal fields of Illinois . 
There are two shafts within the city limits. It is surrounded 
by the best corn land of the world. It is the birthplace of 
the Grand Army of the Republic. Post No. i was organ- 
ized here April 6, 1866. 

A large memorial hall is soon to be erected. I^incoln 
and Oglesby are two of her honored citizens. The com- 
merce of this city will exceed $6,000,000 annually. 2,500 
people are engaged in manufacturing industries of various 
kinds. Decatur supplies the world with checkrowers and 
hog ringers. 

The pressed brick and tile industry is important. 

Forty miles west of Decatur we reach the capital of the 
State. The Capitol is the chief building, which cost about 
$5,000,000. 

It contains many objects of interest, such as Memorial 
Hall, museums of natural history and agriculture. State 



218 NORTH AMERICA. 



Library, etc. It is heated by steam and lighted by elec- 
tricity. The dome stands 365 feet high. 

Watch making is the leading industry. The factory turns 
out 400 daily, and employs 800 men. The buildings cover 
16 acres of ground. 

The Wabash railroad machine shops are located here. 
Thirteen coal shafts are in constant operation in this 
vicinity. 

Lincoln's Monument and the memorials kept there, are 
well worth a visit. Lincoln's home is still kept much as he 
left it and is open to visitors. 

On a branch of the Sangamon we find Bloomington, Nor- 
mal and Lincoln. 

The former is pleasantly situated on a rolling prairie, and 
is one of the prettiest inland cities of the State. Its indus- 
tries are the coal mine, the C. & A. machine shops, extens- 
ive nurseries, and various manufactories. 

It is the seat of the Illinois Wesleyan University. 

Normal, only two miles north, is noted for being the seat 
of the State Normal School and Soldiers' Orphans' Home. 
Many Norman horses are raised here. The berry culture is 
important. 

Lincoln is the seat of the Home for the Feeble Minded 
and the Lincoln University. Near here is a large farm 
owned by an English Lord, who rents it to tenants in a 
manner similar to the English plan. 



WESTERN STATES. 219 



West of Springfield, and some distance from the river, we 
find Jacksonville, "The Athens of the West." In 1829 
the Illinois College was founded, the oldest in the State, 

Besides the State Institutions, Jacksonville boasts of a 
Business College, The Illinois Female College and a Con- 
servatory of Music. There are numerous manufacturing 
industries here. 

Near the mouth of the Illinois River they sometimes have 
sand storms, and in a few localities there exists beds of quick- 
sands. 

Below the mouth of the Illinois River, on the Mississippi, 
we find Alton, noted for its quarries, lime, fruit and coal. It 
is the seat of Shurtleft College. There are many bluffs along 
the river in this region. 

East St. Louis is noted as a railroad center and a great 
manufacturing city. It is connected with St. lyouis by two 
large steel bridges. 

ROCKFORD. 

Rockford, a flourishing manufacturing town, is situated 
on both sides of the Rock River, whose strong current is 
here spanned by six bridges. The city gets its water sup- 
ply from several artesian wells. It is well supplied 
with the modern metropolitan necessaries and conveniencies. 

ROCK ISLAND. 

The city of Rock Island is built on the right bank of the 
Mississippi River, three miles above the mouth of the Rock 



220 NORTH AMERICA. 



River and opposite Rock Island. The Mississippi is here 

spanned by several bridges. The principal business is the 

manufacture of lumber of various kinds. 

The island of Rock Island is owned by the United States, 

and is the seat of the Central United States arsenal. It was 

formerly the site of Fort Armstrong, and was used as a prison 

for captured Confederates during the Civil War. The island 

is connected by bridges with Rock Island, Moline and 

Davenport. 

MOLINE. 

Moline, a lew miles above Rock Island, has s beautiful 
and healthful location, immense water power from the rapids 
in the Mississippi River, and is noted for its numerous fac- 
tories. The principal articles of manufacture are vehicles, 
agricultural implements and organs. 
GALENA. 

Galena is picturesquely built on several terraces on the 
Fevre River, about six miles from the Mississippi River. 
Steamboats can ascend the river to Galena. Considerable 
quantities of lead ore are mined in this vicinity. 

General Grant lived at this place at the opening of the 
Civil War. A beautiful monument to his honor and mem- 
ory was erected in the Galena Cemetery, in 1890. by his 
grateful and admiring fellow-citizens. 

NAUVOO. 

Nauvoo, pleasantly situated on high ground, on the 
east bank of the Mississippi, 14 miles above Keokuk, is 
noted for being founded and occupied by the Mormons. A 



WESTERN vSTATES. 221 



large and costly temple, which was erected by them, is now 

only a heap of ruins. The population before the expulsion 

of the Mormons, in 1846, was 15,000. It is now less than 

one thousand. 

QUINCY. 

Quincy, one of the large and growing cities of Illinois, is 
beautifully situated on a limestone bluff, on the right bank 
of the Mississippi River, about 1 70 miles above vSt. Louis. 

Its manufactures are extensive and varied. 

It has numerous elegant public buildings, and is the seat 
of the Illinois State Soldiers' Home. Over 700 veterans of 
the Civil War are here comfortably cared for by the State. 

KASKASKIA. 

Kaskaskia, the first town settled in Illinois, was founded 
about 1682. A mission station was established near Utica, 
Illinois, by Marquette, in 1675, and named Kaskaskia. A 
few years afterwards the mission and its name was transferred 
to where Kaskaskia now stands. Kaskaskia was the first 
capital of Illinois. 

On the opposite bank of the Kaskaskia River, is Chester, 
which contains one of the State penitentiaries. 

CAIRO. 

Cairo, situated at the junction of the Ohio with the Mis- 
sissippi River, is well located for commerce. The city is 
protected from inundation by immense levees. 

A magnificent steel railroad bridge here crosses the Ohio 
River. 



9^>9 



NORTH AMERICA. 



KENTUCKY. 



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Location. 
Comparative size. 

' Mississippi. 

Ohio. 

Tennessee. 
Rivers. { Cumberland. 

Green. 

Kentucky. 
^ Big Sandy. 

Cumberland Mountains. 

Mammoth Cave. 

Louisville. 



Cities. 



Frankfort. 

Lexington. 

Covington. 



r 



Horses. 

I Mules. 

Animal. \ Cattle. 

Hogs. 

Sheep. 

Grains. 
Products. { Vegetable. ^ Fruits. 

Timber. 



Mineral. < 



Coal. 

Iron. 

Lead. 

Salt. 

Marble. 



WESTERN STATEvS. 223 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

299. Blue Grass Region 

300. Salt Licks. 

301. The Garden of Kentucky. 

302. Swiss Colonies. 

303. I^and of Cane. 

304. Big Bone Ivicks. 

305. The Falls City. 

306. Daniel Boone. 

307. Transylvania. 

308. Water lime. 

309. The Pride of Kentucky. 

QUERIES. 

345. What are "oak knobs?" 

346. In what part of the State are the " Barrens? " 

347. Who were the early pioneers of Kentucky ? 

348. What does the word Kentucky tuean? 

349. Repeat the State motto. 

350. Why did no Indian tribe own the territory called 
Kentucky ? 

351. How can the coral formations in Kentucky be ac- 
counted for ? 

352. In what manner is the Mammoth Cave connected 
with the War of 1 8 1 2 ? 

353. Relate the troubles of the early settlers with the 
Indians. 



224 NORTH AMERICA. 



354. Kentucky produces two-thirds of the hemp raised in 
this country. What is made of hemp ? 

355. What two noted Presidents were natives of Ken- 
tucky ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
MAMMOTH CAVE. 

This wonderful cave is in Kentuckj^, about 100 miles south 
of Louisville, and people are continually going to see it. It 
was first discovered in 1802. In 1809 it was purchased for 
forty dollars. It now belongs to nine heirs, each of which 
receive from it an income of $1,000 annually. The Mam- 
moth Cave is the largest known in the world. 

The Cave contains hundreds of avenues, numerous rivers, 
many domes and pits, eight cataracts, besides a ftw animals 
and curious rock formations. Let us enter and take a trip 
into one of the world's wonders. 

The fee is paid and we are furnished with overalls, blouses, 
flannel caps and a swinging lamp. As you enter you think 
a strong current of air is behind you, but it is really the 
' ' breath ' ' of the cave. 

The guide tells us that the temperature is 56 degrees, 
Fahr. , the year round, and the cave inhales and exhales, as 
the temperature outside is above or below. As we proceed, 
hundreds of bats flit about and circle around our heads. 
These bats, a few rats, lizards, a strange kind of cricket, and 
some eyeless fish, constitute the animal life of the cave. 



WESTERN STATES. 225 



Nearly all the places are christened with names, such as: 
The Rotunda, The Chapel, The Haunted Chamber, Audu- 
bon Avenue, The Devil's Arm Chair, Tlie Bottomless Pit, 
Bridge of Sighs, The Dead Sea, The Rivers Styx and Echo, 
The Star Chamber, Giant's Coffin, Kentucky Cliifs, and 
many others. The guides tell us the legends of some of 
these. In the Gothic Chapel with its bridal altar, a Ken- 
tucky belle w^as married to her lover, after having promised 
to marry no man on earth. She insisted she had kept her 
promise to the very letter, by marryii^g in this subterranean 
"Gretna Green." In the Haunted Chamber two Indian 
mummieo were found, hence the name. 

Wandering Willie's Spring was named from a blind bo}^ 
who w^andered into the cave, and wdien found was asleep 
beside the spring which bears his name. 

McPherson's Monument is a rude pile of stone, built by 
the staff officers of that brave general. Stones are added 
to the pile by the General's soldiers and friends who visit the 
cave. 

The stalactites of gigantic size, and stalagmites of fantas- 
tic forms, when iruminated by calcium lights, present a 
scene never to be forgotten. 

TOBACCO. 

j^Centucky ranks first in the production of tobacco, and in 
the study of this State a good opportunity is afforded to 
know something about it; its history, growth and commer- 
cial importance. 



226 NORTH AMERICA. 



It is a plant, a genus of the solaiiacece, or night shade 
farail}^ and a native of iVmerica. 

The early explorers introduced it into the old world. 

Relate Raleigh's experiments and experiences It was 
used as money (the medium of exchange) in the Virginia 
colon}^ at one time, and was grown in the streets of James- 
town. 

The tooacco seed is first sown in beds, and propagated 
similarly to cabbage plants. 

The plants are set out in rows, checked like corn ground, 
and from 4,000 to 7,000 plants are used on each acre. 

It requires thorough cultivation. 

M uiy insects prey upon this plant, among which are the 
larva of a sphinx, commonly known as the "big green 
worm," the common tobacco worm, and others. During the 
' ' worming ' ' season constant care is required. ' ' Priming ' ' 
consists of destroying worm-eaten and soiled leaves. ' ' Top- 
ping ' ' is cutting oif the top of the plant that the strength 
may go to the leaves. ' ' Cutting ' ' consists in severing the 
stalks near the ground, and when wilted so the leaves will 
not break, they are deposited in the tobacco house. The 
'curing" takes from 75 to 100 days, according to the pro- 
cess employed. 

Assorting, stripping, bulking and packing, then follow. 

Tobacco is known b}^ the name of the countr}" producing 
it. In this country it can be raised from the Gulf to the 
Great Lakes. 

The yield per acre ranges from 600 to 1,000 pounds. 



WESTERN STATES. 227 

The raising of tobacco soon impoverishes any other than 
a very rich soil. 

What are the medicinal effects of tobacco upon the body? 

What common plants belong to the same family ? 

Under what different names and forms is tobacco sold ? 

What diseases are produced by the excessive use of 
tobacco ? 

Which is less injurous, smoking or chewing ? 

What was the Connecticut Blue Law concerning tobacco? 

LOUISVILLE. 

Louisville, the metropolis of Kentucky, is situated on 
the Ohio River, 150 miles below Cincinnati. The so-called 
falls of the Ohio are here, but they are simply a series of 
rapids. 

The fall of the river is 27 feet in a little over 2 miles. 

But little use is made of the water power. 

The Louisville and Portland canal is 2 miles long, and is 
on the Kentucky side of the river. The canal has three 
locks and is capable of passing steamboats of 3,000 tons 
burden. 

Since 1874, the United States government controls the 
canal, making it free to commerce except a small toll to 
keep up repairs. 

Louisville rests on a plain with the hills for a background, 
and the Ohio River flowing rapidly in front. 

This city is the largest tobacco market in the world. 



228 NORTH AMERICA. 



The pork-packing, whisky distilleries, the tanneries 
and iron industries are all extensive. 

Louisville is noted for its schools, especially its medical 
colleges. The public library of Kentucky has over 30,000 
volumes, and a museum and natural history department of 
100,000 specimens. 

The population is over 161,000 (1890). 

lyouisville was named after Louis XIV, king of France. 

At Louisville begin the double graves of the late war, the 
Confederate soldiers on one side, the Federals on the other. 

Here there will be two Decoration Days, until coming 
generations will lay wreaths upon all graves alike. 

LEXINGTON. 

The early pioneers were laying out this town when they 
heard of the news of the battle of Lexington of Revolu- 
tionary fame, so they named the town Lexington. 

This town is a handsome cit}', surrounded by a fertile 
country of great beauty. It is 20 miles distant from Frank 
fort and is in the center oF the famous Blue Grass Country, 
Lexington is especially famous for its celebrated race 
horses and "Bourbon" whisky. ^4ear by is Ashland, the 
country home of Henry Clay. The cemetery contains a 
$50,000 monument in memory of the Great Pacificator. 
The manufacturing interests are important, the city has a 
number of noted schools and several state institutions. It 
was once the capital of Kentucky. 



WESTERN STATES. 229 



KENTUCKY RIVER. 

This river rises in the Cumberland Mountains and 
flows northwest about 250 miles into the Ohio. The 
river seems to have worn itself through limestone 
rocks, which rise in perpendicular cliffs on either side. 
The scenery is picturesque. The Kentucky has no impor- 
tant branches. 

By means of locks and dams, steamboats can navigate 
one-third its length. 

Excellent coal, iron and marble are found along its 
banks. 

SINK HOLES. 

The ' ' Sink Holes ' ' of this state are cavities in the surface 
of the ground, commonly in the shape of inverted cones, 
sixty or seventy feet in depth and from sixty to two hun- 
dred feet in circumference at the top. 

The ear can often detect the sound of water flowing 
beneath. 



230 



NORTH AMERICA. 



MICHIGAN. 






00 



' lyocation. 
Comparative size. 



I Green. 
I Saginaw. 

Strait of Mackinaw. 

f Superior. 
I Michigan, 
^ Huron. 

St. Clair. 

Erie. 



Bays. 



Lakes. 



Rivers. 



Islands. 



Cities. 



Products. 



r Grand. 
J Detroit. 
] St. Clair. 
l^Sault St. Marie. 

( Mackinac. 
I Beaver. 

f Detroit. 

lyansing. 

Grand Rapids. 

Bay City. 
^Saginaw. 

f Animals. 
' Vegetables. 

Minerals. 

Manufactures. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 



310. Ann Arbor. 

311. Pictured Rocks. 

312. Gem of the Straits. 



WESTERN STATES. 231 



313. Sand dunes. 

314. " Peninsula State." 

315. Gibra'tar o' the Lakes. 

316. "The Pocahontas of the West. 

317. The Fruit Belt. 

318. The Sail Rock. 

319. The Grand Portal. 

320. Educational System. 

321. Peat deposits. 



QUKRIKS. 

356. What portion of the Lakes does the United States 
own ? 

357. Which city contains the largest medical and surgi- 
cal sanitarium in the world? 

358. What Indians still live in Michigan ? 

359. Which peninsula excels in agriculture ? In minerals ? 

360. What does the motto of Michigan mean ? 

361. What canals in Michigan ? 

362. Where are the salt wells located ? 

363. For what vegetable production is Kalamazoo noted ? 

364. Where is the most noted summer resort in Michigan ? 

365. For what is Ypsilanti noted ? 

366. Name the forest products of Michigan. 

367. Where is Michigan City ? 

368. How do vessels oass to and from Lake Superior. 



232 NORTH AMEJRICA. 



ITI^MS OP INTEREST. 

Michigan excels all other States in producing lumber 
and salt. 

An excellent and sure crop of apples and peaches is pro- 
duced yearly in Michigan. On account of the modifying 
influence of the lakes, the climate is more mild and equable 
than in the neighboring States. 

The first European settlement was made by Father Mar- 
quette, atSaultSt. Marie, in 1668. 

In 1858. James D. Graham of Chicago, proved the exist- 
ence of a lunar tidal wave on the lakes. 

The spring tides gave a difference of three inches. 

Near Thunder Bay, stone is quarried which makes excel- 
lent grindstones. 

Michigan is second in extent of coast line. 

Which State has the most? 

DETROIT. 

Detroit, the metropolis of Michigan, and the best harbor 
on the great lakes, is situated on the right bank of the 
Detroit River. 

This city has a river frontage of over seven miles, the en- 
tire distance of w^hich is crowded with warehouses, eleva- 
tors, ship-yards, dry-docks mills, foundries, factories, and 
other business buildings. 

A boulevard in the form of a crescent, nine miles long and 
150 feet wide, surrounds the city. 



WESTERN STATES. 233 

Fort Wayne, just below the city, commands the strait and 
defends the city. The principal park is called the " Grand 
Circus," from which the avenues radiate. 

In 1886, twelve lines of railroads centered here, and steam- 
boat lines run to most of the lake ports. Detroit is one of 
the important lumber markets, and "the largest center in 
the world for stoves, railroad cars, emery wheels and phar- 
maceutical supplies." 

There are many fine buildings here. The French first 
visited this region in 1670. 

In 1 701, Cadillac founded Detroit. The Griffin, under 
LaSalle, sailed to the entrance of the Detroit River. Here 
stood an Indian village of unknown date, where now stands 
the City of the Strait. This region is rich in Indian legends 
and lore. Detroit brings to our remembrance Pontiac, Hull, 
River Raisin, and other historic persons and scenes. It has 
been the scene of "one surrender, fifty pitched battles, and 
twelve massacres." 

SALT MANUFACTURE. 

Michigan leads all other States in the manufacture of salt, 
and a few words of how it is made will not be out of place. 

There are several waj-s by which the salt may be separ- 
ated from the water, which holds it in solution. 

Evaporation is performed by the heat of the sun in the 
warm countries, and hot seasons in the temperate regions. 
Evaporation is by artificial heat, commonly known as boiling. 



234 NORTH AMERICA. 



Evaporation, by condensation, by which the ice formed is 
nearly pure water, and the brine remaining is finished by 
boiling. 

Northern Europe uses the last method, and the United 
States the first and second. 

The brine is pumped into shallow vats, when the design 
is to remove impurities, such as iron, carbonic acid, sulphate 
of lime, and several chlorides. 

The vats are protected by large movable covers. The 
evaporation is performed very slowly, hence the crystals are 
larger, or ' ' coarse salt ' ' is formed. 

Fine table salt is obtained by boiling in kettles and pans, 
or by the steam process. 

The kettles and pans are placed in long rows, under which 
fire is introduced, hence the evaporation is very rapid, and 
the salt requires removing continually. 

The steam process consists of steam pipes running through 
large wooden vats or cisterns, otherwise the process is the 
same. The finest salt in the United States is obtained from 
Michigan, Onondaga, N. Y., and Ohio and Kanawha Salt 
Companies. 25 to 30 gallons of water produces one bushel 
of salt at Saginaw, Michigan. 

This is the strongest brine known in United States. Fuel 
being near and cheap, it is readily seen why Michigan stands 
at the head of the salt manufacture. 

BENTON HARBOR. 

Benton Harbor is the chief shipping station of domestic 
fruits in Michigan. One steamer once carried off 16,000 



WESTERN STATES. 235 



crates of berries for a load. Canning factories, cider, vine- 
gar and pickle factories are located here. 

Some of the best wood- working machinery is produced 
in works which have been moved from Grand Rapids. 

ST. CLAIR TUNNEL. 

The immense amount of railroad business over the Grand 
Trunk and other connecting lines, made it necessary to pro- 
vide other means of transportation besides the steam ferries. 
Over 500 cars were ferried daily. At length it was deter- 
mined to construct a tunnel from Port Huron on the 
American side, to Sarnia in Canada. The company was 
formed in 1886, and the tunnel was completed September, 
1891. 

The tunnel is 6,800 feet long, and circular in form, having 
a diameter of 20 feet. The bed of the ^unnel is 15 feet be- 
low the bed of the river, or 66 feet below water level. It 
cost $2,500,000. 

COPPER. 

The southern shores of Lake Superior abounds in native 
copper, the purest and most abundant in the United States. 

The rock is first crushed, then washed, when it is nearly 
in a pure state, which has only to be smelted to make ingot 
copper. 

Michigan has more copper mines than all the rest of the 
States of United States. 

Some of the mines had been worked long ago by people 
who had stone implements with which to work. 



236 



NORTH AMERICA. 



MARQUETTE. 

Marquette is an important shipping point on the northern 
peninsula. The leading industry is handling iron ore. This 
place is a noted summer resort, and celebrated for its fine 
fishing. 

Presque Isle is one of the finest natural parks in the West. 

Congress presented the island to the city of Marquette. 

Electric light is furnished by the water power from Dead 
River, several miles distant. 







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WISCONSIN. 

Location. 
Comparative size. 
Green Ba^^ 



Lakes. 



Rivers. 



{Superior. 
Michigan. 
Winnebago. 
Pepin. 

' Mississippi. 
St. Croix. 
Wisconsin. 
Rock. 
Fox. 
Menominee. 

" Milwaukee. 
Madison. 
Oshkosh. 
Racine. 
LaCrosse. 



r Animal. 
Products. < Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



Cities. 



WESTERN STATES. 237 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

322. Cream Colored City. 

323. The Dalles. 

324. Height of Land. 

325. Mound Builders. 

326. Lead Region. 

327. The State Park. 

328. Winnebago Marsh. 

329. Hop Culture. 

330. Lumber Camps. 

331. Eye of the Northwest. 

332. The Lake City. 

333. Maiden Rock. 

QUERIES. 

369. Which city manufactures the most threshing ma- 
chines ? 

370. What does "Wisconsin" mean? 

371. What Indian war partly occurred in this State ? 

372. What names in Wisconsin suggest a French origin ? 

373. Which is the deepest of the Great Lakes ? 

374. Name ten ports on the Great Lakes, and tell some- 
thing noted of each. 

375. How can you account for so many small lakes in 
these Northern States ? 

376. What noted group of islands in Lake Superior? 

377. In what vegetable production does Wisconsin excel ? 



238 NORTH AMERICA. 



378. What town of Wisconsin manufactures a great many 
ships ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

MILWAUKEE. 

Milwaukee, the metropolis and chief port of entry of 
Wisconsin, is on the western shore of Lake Michigan, about 
85 miles north of Chicago. The harbor, naturally one of 
the best on the lake, has been improved by the Government 
building a breakwater, costing $1,000,000. 

The copper and iron mines, not far distant, have done 
much toward making Milwaukee a great manufacturing city. 
The city is celebrated for the great quantities of lager beer, 
which finds a market all over the Union. $4,000,000 are 
invested in that branch of industry alone. The lumber and 
grain interests are extensive. Vast iron mills and large 
leather factories are here located. 

Near here is located the National Northwestern Soldiers' 
Asylum for disabled veterans. These buildings are sur- 
rounded by 425 acres of land, one-half of which is under 
cultivation, the remainder forms a beautiful park. 

One of the State Normal schools is here. There are many 
fine buildings in Milwaukee, among which are the Postofiice 
and Custom House, County Court House, Board of Trade 
Building, Masonic Temple, railroad depots, churches, 
schools, etc. 



WESTERN STATES. 239 

ASHLAND. 

Ashland is noted particularly for its lumber interests, and 
as a shipping por xor iron ore. 

Here is found the largest charcoal blast furnace known; 
the output is loo tons daily. In 1890, the saw mills cut 
138,000,000 feet of lumber, besides laths and shingles. 

This city has many attractions for summer tourists. 

The Apostle Islands are favorite resorts for excursionists. 

On one of these, islands John Jacob Astor established a fur 
trading post, and the dock still stands. 

The Pierre Marquette Mission, of 1669, is still in a good 
state of preservation. 

SUPERIOR. 

Superior, one of the cities whose recent growth is phe- 
nomenal, is very advantageously located, near the west end 
of lyake Superior. The city has three deep and safe har- 
bors, and is the center of seven great systems of railroads. 

Manufacturing and commerce combine to make Superior 
prosperous. 

It grew from a hamlet of a hundred inhabitants in 1885, 
"to a bustling city of over 20,000, in 1890. 

MADISON. 

Madison, capital of Wisconsin, and one of the most beau- 
tifully located cities in America, is built upon an isthmus, 
about three miles in length and one mile wide, lying be- 
tween lyakes Mendota and Menona. 



240 NORTH AMERICA. 



Besides being the capital, it is noted for its commerce and 
its educational advantages. 

Among the important institutions are the University of 
Wisconsin, Soldiers' Orphans' Home, and Asylum for the 
insane. 

CHIPPEWA FALLS. 

Chippewa Falls, beautifully situated on both sides of the 
Chippewa River, takes its name from the falls in the river. 
The falls are about 25 feet in height, and furnish power that 
is used in manufacturing. 

The principal industry is the manufacture of lumber, 
shingles, lath, etc. 

One of the largest saw mills in the world is located at 
this place. 

The water with which the city is supplied comes from a 
spring that issues from a rock. The water is very nearly 
pure; it contains less than one per cent, of impurities. 

EAU CLAIRE. 

Kau Claire, situated at the confluence of the Eau Claire 
and Chippewa rivers, is one of the greatest lumber manu- 
facturing cities of the United States. 

Besides lumber, furniture, paper, ice and electrical ap- 
pliances are made here. It has a healthful location. 

RACINE. 

Racine is located on the west shore of lyake Michigan, 
has an excellent harbor and good railroad facilities. 



WESTERN vSTATES. 241 



Manufacturing is the leading industry. Farming imple- 
ments of various kinds, and engines, are the principal articles 
of export. 

It is the seat of the University of the Northwest. 

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN. 

Prairie du Chien, one of the oldest towns of Wisconsin, 
is on the left bank of the Mississippi River, a short distance 
above the mouth of 'the Wisconsin River. 

It is built upon the former site of Fort Crawford. It was at 
this fort that Jefferson Davis won the heart of Noxie Taylor, 
the daughter of Zachary Taylor. The story is that "Old 
Rough and Ready" opposed the match, and that, as the 
daughter had inherited some of the independent spirit of 
her father, an elopement preceded the marriage. 



242 



NORTH AMERICA. 



MINNESOTA. 





Location. 




- 


Comparative 


size. 


4-» 




' Superior. 




Lakes. 


Rainy. 
Woods. 






Itasca. 


O 




' Mississippi. 
St. Croix. 




Rivers. * i 


Minnesota. 
Des Moines. 


-■ 


Height of L 


Red River of the North 

and. 

St. Paul. 
Minneapolis. 








Cities. 


Duluth. 


^ cA 


Red Wing. 


.B ^ 




Winona. 


S ^ 




r Animal. 
1 Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 




Products. 







SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 



334. The Diadem City. 

335. St. Anthony's Falls. 

336. Minnehaha Falls. 

337. The Zenith City. 

338. The Tv^in Cities of the West. 



WESTERN vSTATES. 243 



339. The Big Woods. 

340. Fountain Cave. 

341. The Ice Palace. 

342. Indian Reservations. 

343. Itasca State Park. 

344. The Gateway of the East. 

QUERIES. 

379. Who first explored the upper Mississippi River ? 

380. What is the meaning of the word Minnesota? Minne- 
haha? Minneapolis ? 

381. What is the origin of the word Itasca? 

382. What is the latitude of the most northern portion of 
Minnesota ? 

383. What IS the straightest river, of its size, in the United 
States? 

384. The scene of what famous poem is located prmci- 
pally in Minnesota ? 

385. What lake is now considered the source of the Mis- 
sissippi River? 

386. What State once offered $200 per scalp, for Indian 
vScalps? When? 

387. What lines of steamboat navigation begin in Minne- 
sota? 

388. What kind of engines are used in street car service 
of Minneapolis? 

389. Does the destruction of the forests affect the climate? 



244 NORTH AMFRICA. 

« 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
SAINT PAUL. 

Saint Paul, the capital of Minnesota, has a beautiful loca- 
tion upon several terraces, on the left bank of the Missis- 
sippi River, 2,200 miles above its mouth. It is devoted to 
both manufacturing and commerce, and has grown very 
rapidly within the past few years. 

It is at the head of steamboat navigation, for large boats. 

Its water supply comes from Lake Phalen, three miles dis- 
tant. 

LAKE MINNETONKA. 

Lake Minnetonka is a popular summer resort, about 12 
miles southwest of Minneapolis. 

Numerous cottages and several immense hotels line the 
sliores, for the accommodation of seekers for health and 
recreation. The lake is about 15 miles long, has man}' 
beautiful bays, and is well furnished with all kinds of pleas- 
ure boats. 

MINNEAPOLIS. 

Minneapolis, the largest cit}' of Minnesota, lies fourteen 
miles, by the river, or eight miles in a direct line, west oi 
St. Paul. 

It has had a phenomenally rapid growth during its recent 
history. 

The Falls of St. Anthony at this place furnish an im- 
mense amount of water power. This is utilized by manj^ 
mills and factories. It manufactures more flour than any 
other city in the United States. 



WEvSTERN vSTATES. 245 



The "A" mill, of Pillsbury's, is the largest in the world, 
and has a daily capacity of 7,000 barrels. 

Another great industry of Minneapolis is the manufacture 
of lumber and the various products of the planing mills. 

Over half the lumber product of Minnesota is turned out 
by the saw mills of Minneapolis. For this reason it is some- 
times called the "Sawdust City." 



WINONA. 

Winona, one of the greatest lumber manufacturing cities 
of the United States, is pleasantly located on the right bank 
of the Mississippi River. 

The other important manufactures are flour, vehicles and 
farming implements. 

A large and prosperous State Normal school is located in 
Winona. 

MANKATO. 

This town, the largest city of southern central Minnesota, 
has a picturesque location at the big bend of the Minnesota 
River. It is in the center of a very rich country, and is 
engaged largely in manufacturing and commerce. 

It is the seat of one of the State. Normal schools. 

It was at this place that thirty-eight of the savages 
engaged in the Sioux War of 1863 were executed at one 
time. 



246 NORTH AMERICA. 



TOWER. 

Tower, devoted at present wholly to mining iron ore, is 
located on the south shore of Vermilion I^ake. This lake 
gets its name from its appearance at sunset. The hills sur- 
rounding the lake contain almost inexhaustible mines of 
the purest magnetic iron ore yet found anywhere. The vein 
varies in thickness from 25 to 125 feet. 

The ore is shipped to Chicago, Pittsburg, and other east- 
ern cities to be used in manufacturing iron w^are of various 
kinds. 

TWO HARBORS. 

This town, important as one of the principal shipping 
points for the immense quantities of iron ore and timber 
produced in this section of the State, is located on Lake Su- 
perior, about twenty-seven miles north of Duluth. It has 
also some note as a summer resort. 

DULUTH. 

Duluth, the third city in size in Minnesota, is advantage- 
ously located for commerce at the head of Lake Superior. 
It is near vast supplies of timber and mineral wealth, 
and forms the natural outlet for the vast grain fields of the 
northwest. 

It has a good harbor, that is capable of accommodating 
the largest vessels. Its growth within the past few years 
has been remarkable. 



WESTERN STATEvS. 247 



THE MINOR LAKES. 

The minor lakes region of the United States lies principally 
in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is estimated 
that fully one-sixth of the lake surface of the United States 
is found here, and good authorities estimate the number at 
about 12,000. 

Within 25 miles of Minneapolis there are 200 lakes, and 
within the great pine forests are countless numbers yet un- 
explored. In Minneapolis this region bears the name of 
" Park Region." The whole area is a gigantic reservoir 
system, preventing floods and supplying water in the drier 
periods for the navigation of the Upper Mississippi. 

These water courses help to convey the logs from the 
lumber camps to the saw mills, miles avv^ay. The hunting, 
the fishing and the scenery is all that could be desired. 
The lakes temper the cold of winter and modify the heat of 
summer. 

THE PIPESTONE QUARRY. 

Catlin Vv'as the first white man to explore the place which 
the poet describes, thus : 

On the Mountains of the Prairie, 
On the great Red Pipestone Quarry, 
Gitche Manito, the Mighty, 
He, the Master of Life, descending 
On the red crags of the Quarry, 
Stood erect, and called the Nations, 
Called the tribes of men together. 



248 NORTH AMERICA. 



The Quarry is something over one mile from the town of 
Pipestone, Minneapolis. This locality is of interest to the 
geologist on account of a rock formation which is found no- 
where else ; to the historian for its romance and legends ; to 
the red men as a spiritual shrine to which they make yearly 
pilgrimages. The stone when first taken from the quarry 
is very soft and easily carved into curious shapes. It after- 
wards hardens rapidl3^ 

There are evidences that the Mound Builders knew of 
and visited this region. The open quarry is an excavation 
of perhaps sixty feet across and fifteen or eighteen feet deep. 
Fragments of the pipestone lie strewn about on every side. 
The Indians select the choicest pieces of stone for working, 
discarding all that have hardened and all that are of an 
undesirable color. It is their inherited belief that the stone 
is composed of the blood of Indians ; and when a streak of a 
lighter color appears they cast the stone aside, believing it 
to be a white man's blood, which no good Indian is allowed 
to use. Having selected his several pieces of pipestone, the 
dusky artist seats himself cross-legged on the ground before 
his tent, and proceeds to carve them into the desired articles. 
The one thing which he most delights to make is a calumet, 
shaped to represent a tomahawk. It is graceful in design, 
nicely carved and artistically ornamented. There are many 
forms of pipes and other articles, novelties — any thing in 
fact that would make a suitable memento of the place ; for 
the Indians are shrewd on this point and carry on a thriving 
trade with tourists and curiosity-seekers. 



WEvSTERN STATES. 



249 



SOUTH DAKOTA. 



»4 



*-* 00 
• CO 

05 ^ 



Boundary. 
Area, 

Population 
Lakes. 



Rivers. 



Mountains. 



Cities. 



Products. 



White. 
Red. 

( Stone. 
I Traverse. 

f Missouri. 
J Big Sioux. 
} Dakota, 
i Cheyenne. 

I Black Hills. 

I Plateau of the Missouri. 

'Sioux Falls. 
Pierre. 
Yankton. 
Deadwood. 

C Animal. 
} Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 



345. The Big Muddy. 

346. The Big Bend. 

347. Hot Springs. 

348. Buffalo Wallows. 

349. Newport of the West. 



250 NORTH AMERICA. 



350. The Bad I^ands. 

351. The Mother City of Dakota. 

352. The Great Sioux Reservation. 

353. The Pirates of the Missouri. 

354. Prairie Fires. 

355. Chinook Winds. 

356. Hot Winds. 

357. The Gate City of the Hills. 



QUERIES. 

390. Can you pronounce Missouri ? Coyote ? 

391. Which city is nearly one mile above the sea level? 

392. What is an artesian well ? 

393. How is it proposed to irrigate South Dakota ? 

394. Where are the richest tin mines in America ? 

395. How have railroads helped in settlement ? 

396. Mention some of the hardships the early settlers had 
to endure. 

397. Where are the trade centers through whic'i Dakota's 
imports and exports pass ? 

398. What v.-as the Timber Culture Act? Why was it 
repealed ? 

399. What river fanhslies the best water power in this 
State ? 

400. Why are the prairies treeless ? 

401. Why does the snow melt under a northwest wind ? 



WESTERN STATES. 251 



ITKMS OP INTEREST. 

, SIOUX FALLS. 

Sioux Falls, the metropolis of South Dakota, is situated 
on the Big Sioux River. The quarries here furnish the 
most important business, next to mining. The granite is 
of various colors, and is capable of a high polish. Many 
public buildings are built from the material obtained here. 
Sioux Falls is the seat of the State penitentiary, the School 
for Deaf Mutes, and of four sectarian colleges. The river 
descends 90 feet in the distance of one-half mile, thus afford- 
ing abundant water power. The Dells and Pali^des along 
the Sioux River are beautiful to behold. Sioux Falls has a 
variety of industries of minor importance. 

The polishing works here use car load after car load of the 
petrified wood of Arizona for making monuments and orna- 
ments of different kinds. 

BLACK HILLS. 

These hills are located in the southwest corner of South 
Dakota and extend into Wyoming. They occupy an area 
of sixty by ninety miles. 

Harney's Peak is the highest point. Crook's Tower is 
nearly as high. 

The hills are surrounded by a wall of sand-stone, inside of 
which is the "Race Course" of the Indians. Near the 
south side are the famous Hot Springs, called by the Indians 



252 NORTH AMERICA. 



Minne-kah-ta. Not far distant is a cave which will claim 
equal laurels with the most noted in our land. 

Lead City contains the largest stamp mills in the world. 

Rapid City is the seat of the Dakota School of Mines. 

Deadwood is in the center of the mining district, and is 
so called on account of the dead trees which were destroyed 
by fires. 

Deadwood is built on the side of a gulch, or rather several 
gulches, and the business that supports the town is per- 
formed outside, in the mining camps. Spearfish, in the Black 
Hills, is the seat of a Normal School. 

The minerals of this region are tin, gold, silver, lead, cop- 
per, mica, gj^psum, coal and stone. The Indians believed 
the Hills to be the abode of the Great Spirit, and that the 
springs possessed great curative properties. 

Half a century ago, the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians 
fought for the possession of this region at a place called 
Battle Mountain. 

The Sioux were victorious. 

CAVE OF THE WINDS. 

This cave is twelve miles north of the Hot Springs. It 
was found by a cowboy in 1884, but not explored until 1890. 
The temperature in the cave stands at 45° Fahr. The 
entrance was blasted and the cave has been explored for 
several miles. 

A thousand chambers have been discovered, the largest 
of which is about three acres in extent. The stalactite form- 



WESTERN STATES. 253 

ations are beautiful, and the owners are careful to preserve 
the grandeur of the cave. 

TIN MINES. 

For several years past a company of men have silently 
bought all the available tin minesin the vicinity of Harney's 
Peak. Their capital consists of $15,000,000. One of the 
officers reports as follows : 

"The company, of which I am chairman, and in which 
American capitalists are equally interested, have built two 
of the largest and most thoroughly equipped mills in the 
world. 

"They have a capacity of producing 500 tons of tin daily. 
In two years hence this country need not import any more 
tin, and the production will save $75,000,000 annually. 

"The mills expect to begin work by October i, 1892." 

Hill City is the center of the tin mines. 

THE WOONSOCKET WELL. 

At Woonsocket there is an artesian well 725 feet deep, 
which discharges 8,000 gallons of water per minute. There 
is a pressure of 153 lbs. to the square inch, and it throws a 
four-inch stream 70 feet high, or a two-inch stream 200 feet 
high. It is used for domestic purposes, and also supplies 
the fire department with water. 

It is said that this well exceeds in power and volume any 
other well in the world. 



254 . NORTH AMERICA. 



A DAKOTA BLIZZARD. 

A genuine blizzard is a storm of fine sleet accompanied by 
a fierce gale and ft-eezing temperature. It usually follows a 
warm day, and the change comes very quickly. The frost 
begins to fly, the mercury falls below zero, the snow on the 
ground begins to move with a swishing sound, until all the 
snow seems to be in the air. 

The stinging, blinding sleet and the deadl)^ cold wave com- 
bine to make it nearly impossible to find the best known 
paths. 

All this may seem incredible to those who never were in 
such a storm. It is impossible to convey its grim horrors in 
words; it is impossible to realize that men could get lost in 
going fifty feet, with houses all round, but they were. 

A blizzard is something terrible; it is something, which if 
once experienced, is never forgotten. No man wants to see 
one twice. 

The following is an account of the author's experience in 
the great blizzard of January 12, 1888, in South Dakota 

Januar}^ 1 1 , it snowed two or three inches of light, fluffy 
snow. The morning of the 12th there was a light wind 
from the south, with a dull, hazy, obscure atmosphere. A 
double ring was plainly visible around the sun. We saw the 
storm working up against the wind, and all the children 
reached school before it broke upon us. The wind suddenl}^ 
shifted to the north-west, and in an instant we were in the 
midst of a fierce blinding storm of snow and sL-jt. The 



WESTERN STATES. 255 



wind blew the snow in under the door, up from the floor, in 
the windows and even- down from above, and it was only by 
careful attention that the room was kept barely comfortable. 

Noon came — no abatement. 

The coal house was just back of the school-house and 
open enough to drift full of snow. 

The noontime was spent in shoveling out the coal for the 
the afternoon. Recess — the gale increased, if anything. 

Night came — the storm furies still held sway, and we 
came to the conclusion to stay in the school-house all night. 

Enough coal to last all night was brought in and piled in 
the corner of the room. 

Th2 teacher went to the neighbor's, about 150 yards off, to 
see what arrangements could be made for food and other 
accommodations. The neighbor offered to keep the girls all 
night if they could get there and with numerous wraps the 
teacher started back to the school-house. 

The teacher traveled by guess for seeing was out of the 
question, and the wind was no guide — shifting and deceit- 
ful as the Will-o'-the-wisp. 

The school-house was reached again without mishap, the 
girls warmed and carefully wrapped, then, hand in hand, we 
started for the house. The teacher led the way, the others 
following as before stated. Half way over, the teacher 
turned to see if all were coming, found the line broken and 
the children .scattered, and thus the bearings were lost. All 
were huddled together, and a shawl was thrown around them, 
with the request not to move until sure of the right direc- 



256 NORTH AMERICA. 



tion. The wind would whirl in every direction, and at 
times the snow and sleet would cover our faces so we could 
not see a particle — couldn't even see our feet — and it was 
almost suffocating. In a few moments a pile of rocks was 
found, which were due east from the house about 130 feet, 
and the pupils moved to them. We all knew where we were, 
but no one knew which way was west. Horror of horrors ! 

Placing one pupil about 20 feet from the others, the 
teacher went as much farther. This was done several times in 
different directions, when cuttings were discovered which 
were in rows leading to the house. 

On hands and knees the teacher followed the row to the 
house, the rest, ten pupils, following. 

The children were crying with the cold, nearly all were 
frosted ; faces, fingers and feet were blistered. The teacher 
undid wraps, placed frozen limbs in water, and cared for the 
comfort of all before he realized his own frost bites. 

The lady of the house spread bread and butter for the 
boys and we started back. 

In the meantime the sun had gone down. The boy who 
was helping to take the food to the school-house desired 
not to go, and rather than risk chances of a night on the 
prairie, with the snow for a winding sheet, we turned back. 
No one cared for supper. All went to bed to keep warm; 
14 persons in a 14 by 20-foot house of one story. 

Sleep was out of the question. 

About mid-night the wind lulled for a few moments, and 
the teacher went to the school-house, were all were found 



WESTERN STATES. 



257 



afe around the fire. With a red hot stove, and a thermome- 
ter only ten feet away on the north side of the house, the 
mercury stood about zero. It was 30° below, out doors, next 
morning, and a stiff wind blowing. 

The author was a truly happy, thankful boy, thinking 
'*wliat was," and ''what might have been." 



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NORTH DAKOTA. 

f Location. 
Comparative size. 
Devil's Lake. 

r Missouri. 
Rivers. \ Little Missouri. 
Dakota. 
[ Red River of the North. 

Turtle Mountain. 

Plateau of the Missouri. 

f Fargo. 
J Bismarck, 
j Grand Forks. 
Uamestown. 

Animal. 
Vegetable. 

Mineral. 



Cities. 



Products. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

358. The Burning Mine. 

359. Lumber Region. 



258 NORTH AMERICA. 



360. The Fur Traders. 

361. No. I Hard. 

362. Mennonites. 

363. Glacial Drift. 

364. Pre-emption Claim. 

365. Homestead Claim. 



QUERIKS. 



402. What does the word " Dakota^" mean ? 

403. Is Devil's Lake fresh or salt water ? 

404. How is the Northern boundary marked ? 

405. Why is the Red River Valley such a .o^ood wheat 
country ? 

406. What is the division line between the Dakotas? 

407. Why was the Red River so named ? 

408. How are many cities of Dakota supplied with water ? 

409. How are the Indians provided for ? 

410. Describe an Indian agency, issuing rations, butcher- 
ing day, etc. 

411. What is the Severalty Bill ? 

412. What is the Indian Peace Policy ? 

413. Where, on the boundary line, is there a custom 
house ? 

414. Are days longer in this State than where you live? 
if so, why? If not, wh}^ not? 



WESTERN STATEvS. 259 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

FARGO. 

Fargo, the metropolis of North Dakota, is one of the 
most enterprising and prosperous cities of the golden N"orth- 
west. 

Its schools, churches, public buildings and industries, are 
first-class. 

It is a distributing point for all this region, and the grain 
and lumber trade is immense. 

Near here are the famous large Dakota farms, one of 
which contains 75,000 acres. 

JAMESTOWN. 

Jamestown is a thriving town on the James or Dakota 
River. It is the seat of the Asjdum for the Insane, and a 
Presbyterian College. 

It has large hotels, many fine residences, and is the lead- 
ing town in that section of the State. 

GRAND FORKS. 

Grand Forks is a lively business citj^ north of Fargo, on 
the Red River of the North. 

It has an extensive lumber trade. The grain trade of the 
surrounding country is enormous. It is the seat of the 
University of North Dakota, which affords education free to 
all who attend. 



260 NORTH AMERICA. 



WALLED LAKE BEDS. 

In North Dakota, and other neighboring States, are the 
curious freaks of nature known as the walled lakes. 

The banks are lined with stone in irregular order, and are 
higher than the surrounding land. 

The lakes are shallow and freeze solid in the winter time, 
and the supposition is that the expansive force of the ice 
slowly forces the stones to the shore, and builds up the 
banks. 

DEVIL'S LAKE. 

Minnewaukon (Spirit Lake), or Devil's Lake, is about 5 
miles in length and about 2 miles wide. It is the largest 
lake in the State, and has 100 square miles of surface. It 
has no outlet, and has narrow belts of timber surrounding 
it. Its altitude is 1,200 feet above the sea level. 

It is the breeding place for geese, ducks, brants, swans, 
etc. Near this lake is an Indian reservation, a United States 
military post, and mission schools. 

BAD LANDS. 

In the valley of the Little Missouri is a tract of broken 
country, 30 by 1 50 miles long, called the Bad Lands. These 
lands are noted for their wonderful scenery and remarkable 
fossil remains. 

Towers, castles, obelisks and pyramids, colored by the ris- 
ing and setting sun, present a scene truly grand and novel. 
The rugged buttes, bluffs and brush thickets furnish selter 



WESTERN STATES. 261 



for wild game and herds of cattle. Grasses and herbs grow 
in the nooks and ravines, and furnish food in both winter 
and summer. 

Many are the wonderful stories told by travelers concern- 
ing these localities. 

A DAKOTA FARM. 

Near Castleton, in the Red River Valley, is the famous 
farm of Mr. Oliver Dalrymple, who owns 75,000 acres of 
land. 

The land is divided into smaller farms of 2,000 acres, each 
under the charge of a foreman. Supplies are purchased at 
wholesale, and machinery by the carload. Each farm has 
the necessary buildings belonging to any well regulated 
farm. 

The outfit consists of hundreds of gang-plows, a hundred 
seeders, a hundred self-binders, and twenty steam threshers. 
Harvest begins about August ist, and the immense wheat 
fields are a wonder to behold. 

Imagine a procession of self-binders coming down a field 
of wheat extending as far as the eye can reach, and cutting 
a strip nearly a quarter of a mile wide. 

Along side of this army see the mounted blacksmith with 
his movable shop and tools to repair any breaks. Here and 
there, over the field, we see the threshing machines, manned 
by a force of six hundred men. This is farming on a large 
scale, and no wonder this region is famous for its No. i 
hard spring wheat, which makes the best flour in the world. 



262 



NORTH AMERICA. 



IOWA. 









lyOcation. 
Comparative size. 



Rivers. 



00 



Cities. 



Products. 



f MissivSsippi. 

Cedar. 
I Iowa. 
{ Des Moines. 

Missouri. 

Big Sioux. 
^ Little Sioux. 

' Burlington. 
Des Moines. 
Davenport. 
Dubuque. 
Council Bluffs. 
Sioux City. 

Animal. 

Vegetable. 

Mineral. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 



366. The Walled Lake. 

367. The Gate City. 

368. Missouri Flats. 

369. Corn Palace. 



WESTERN STATEvS. 263 

370. Coal Palace. 

371. Coal Fields. 

372. The Orchard City. 

373. The Lowell of Iowa. 

374. Gypsum Quarries. 

375. The Key City. 

376. Belle Plaine Geyser. 



QUERIES. 

414. Which is the only State having an eastern and west- 
ern river boundary ? 

415. Which is the oldest town in the State? 
416 Locate the lead region of Iowa. 

417. Give the origin of the name of the State. Motto? 

418. Where in the State are relics of the Mound Builders 
found ? 

419. Where is the lake region? Name several of these 
lakes. For what are they principally noted ? 

420. What disaster happened to Sioux City in 1892 ? 

42 1 . Does Iowa contain breweries and distileries ? 

422. Where is the Blue Grass Palace located ? 

423. Where are the upper rapids on the Mississippi P.iver ? 

424. Locate the highest point of land in the State. 

425. In what products does Iowa excell ? 

426. Which city is the center ot the lead trade ? 



264 NORTH AMERICA. 



ITKMS OF INTEREST. 

DAVENPORT. 

This city was named after Colonel Davenport. It is op- 
posite Rock Island, and Moline, in Illinois. 

Its railroad advantages and water communication with 
the North and Northwest, make it an important commer- 
cial center. The product of the factories amounts to over 
$15,000,000 annually. The saw mills do a large business, 
and the grain handled is enormous. There are many noted 
schools here. The Government has expended many mil- 
lions for improvements on an island in the river. 
* 

BURLINGTON. 

Burlington is very pleasantly situated on the " Father of 
Waters." The city is particularly noted for its fine drain- 
age, pure air and healthfulness. Its nearness to stone quar- 
ries, its vast timber wealth, and the location between the 
coal fields of two States, all combine to make Burlington one 
of the important cities of Iowa. The lumber, iron, grain 
and railroad interests, are extensive. The buildings are 
mostly of brick. 

SIOUX CITY. 

Sioux City is one of the most thriving and enterprising 
cities in Iowa. 



WESTERN STATES. 265 



It is an extensive wholesale supply center for South 
Dakota, Nebraska and western Iowa. It ranks third in 
United States as a pork packing center. 

Fully one-half of the flax seed produced in our country 
is raised within 200 miles of Sioux City. Oatmeal and flour 
mills, foundries and machine shops, many factories of vari- 
ous kinds, and other industries, are found here. The Corn 
Palace Exposition is one of the modern attractions which 
draws large crowds annually. The area of the city is thirty 
square miles (1889). 

STORM LAKE. 

There is a small lake in northwestern Iowa called Storm 
Lake, which is a pleasant summer resort. The area of the 
lake is in the neighborhood of 25 square miles. When the 
lake overflows it is a strange fact that the waters flow into 
branches that respectively reach the Missouri and Missis- 
sippi Rivers. The lake has a gravelly beach, and the citi- 
zens have planted many beautiful shade trees around the 
lake. 

The town of Storm Lake has a glove and mitten factory. 

AN ICE CAVE. 

Hidden deep among the hills of northeastern Iowa, there 
exists one of the wonder works of nature. 

On the Iowa River, near Decorah, in a cliff" 200 feet high, 
is a natural ice cave. 

The cavern is about 10 feet wide by 40 in length, and 
all around is found one mass of pure ice. 



266 NORTH AMERICA. 



The ice on the walls is only a few inches thick, but trans- 
parent. It was named from Old Decorah, an Indian chief, 
who used the cave for preserving dressed game. 

LOWER RAPIDS OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 

Near Keokuk is a canal which the United States Gov>-rn- 
ment has opened for navigation, at a cost of $9,000,000. 

This canal is nearly eight miles in length, three hundred 
feet wide, and seven feet deep at the lowest water. There 
are three locks in this canal. 

There is also a dry dock connected with it, which is owned 
by the Government. 

Boats winter in this canal, and much ice is taken from it 

yearly. 

LOST ROCKS. 

In Cherokee County there is a large rock 40 by 60 feet in 
size, 20 feet above ground and more below the surface. They 
are called boulders, or lost rocks. The supposition is they 
were brought here by glaciers. 

Read up the subject in geolog>'. 

COUNCIL BLUFFS. 

Council Bluffs received its name from the fact that the 
Indians made treaties in this place. 

It was long a trading post, later it became the stopping 
place of the Mormons who left Nauvoo, Illinois. 

The city is now metropolitan in every respect, and is the 
terminus of eastern and western trunk lines. 



WESTERN STATES. 



267 



Hence this city, with Omaha, just across the river, has an 
immense wholesale and jobbing trade. 

The largest trade is in agricultural implements. The 
machine shops, the canneries, the wagon and carriage fac- 
tories, give employment to thousands of people. The public 
parks, the schools and cemeteries, are objects of note. Be- 
low the town the river forms a lagoon, around which a 
beautiful park is appropriately fitted for a summer resort. 
I^arge hotels, pleasure boats, etc., attract many visitors. 



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NEBRASKA. 

Boundary. 
Comparative size. 

C Missouri. 



Rivers. 



Cities, 



Products. 



^ Platte. 

( Republican. 

( Lincoln. 

I Omaha. 

^ Beatrice. 

I Grand Island. 

[ Nebraska City. 

r Animal. 
< Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



vSUGGKSTlYE KEY WORDS. 

377. Bad Lands. 

378. Sand Hills. 

379. Sod Houses. 



268 NORTH AMERICA. 



380. Draws. 

381. Locusts. 

382. Kansas and Nebraska Bill. 

383. Bull-bats. 

384. Salt Springs. 

385. Great American Desert. 

QUERIES. 

427. Why are the rivers of this State not navigable ? 

428. What fuel supply has Nebraska beside wood and 
coal ? 

429. What is the meaning of the word Nebraska f Why 
appropriate ? 

430. What minerals are found in Nebraska ? 

431. What portion of Nebraska is well adapted to agri- 
culture ? For grazing ? 

432. What town is noted for the manufacture of beet 
sugar ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

OMAHA. 

Omaha, the metropolis and former capital of Nebraska, is 
built upon the west bank of the Missouri River, opposite 
Council Bluffs. It is the eastern terminus of the Union 
Pacific Railroad, and also the terminus of several other rail- 
roads. The growth of the city since the completion of the 
Union Pacific Railroad, has been constant and rapid. 



WESTERN STATES. 269 



Omaha is connected both by bridge and ferry with Coun- 
cil Bluffs, Iowa. 

Omaha is a distributing point for a great territory west of 
it, and also has some note for its manufactories and pork 
packing establishments. 

LINCOLN. 

lyincoln, at the time it became the capital of the State, 
was located at center of population of the State. It is now 
the most important railroad center. It is engaged in manu- 
facturing and commerce, and is noted for its public and educa- 
tional institutions. Of these may be mentioned the Asylum 
for the Insane, Penitentiary, State University, Industrial 
University, and the Wesley an University. The usual mod- 
ern conveniencies of a great city are found here. 

It is one of the handsomest cities of the West. 

BEATRICE. 

Beatrice is a thriving town, and the center of more than a 
half-dozen railroads. It is located on the Big Blue River, 
surrounded by a rich farming country. 

It is the seat of a State Institute for feeble minded persons. 

HASTINGS. 

Hastings, i8o miles west of Omaha, is a prosperous town 
with excellent railroad facilities, is situated in the midst of 
a fertile and well settled region. It is the seat of Hastings 
College. 



270 



NORTH AMERICA. 



NEBRASKA CITY. 

Nebraska City is an important town on the Missouri 
River, nearly due west of the southern border of Iowa. 
Manufacturing is the leading industry. 

Nebraska College is located here. The Missouri is here 

crossed by a steel railroad bridge, and a pontoon bridge for 

vehicles. 

CRETE. 

Crete is another city whose recent growth has been very 
rapid. It is very pleasantly located on the Big Blue. The 
Nebraska ' ' Chautauqua Assembly ' ' meets here every sum- 
mer. 

KANSAS. 



O 



u 






Location. 
Comparative size. 



Rivers. 



Cities. 



Missouri. 

Kansas. 

Republican. 

Smoky Hill. 

Osage. 

Arkansas. 

' Leavenworth. 
Topeka. 
Atchison. 
Lawrence. 
Witchita. 
Ft. Scott. 



r Animal. 

Products, -< Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



WESTERN STATES. 271 

SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

386. The Central State. 

387. Ossawatomie Brown. 

388. Border Struggle. 

389. Guerillas. 

390. Squatter Sovereignty. 

QUERIES. 

433. What does the word Kansas mean? 

434. What trouble occurred in regard to the admission of 
this State ? 

435. Are there any lakes or swamps in Kansas? 

436. What are the important minerals of Kansas ? 

437. What State occupies the Geographical center of the 
United States? 

438. What State has the least area of useless land ? 
. 439. Repeat the State motto. 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

LEAVENWORTH. 

Leavenworth, the oldest and largest city of Kansas, is an 
important railroad center, on the west bank of the Missouri. 

It is the seat of a Soldiers' Home, a United States mili- 
tary prison, and a school for training young officers for the 
arm5^ 

The principal industries are manufacturing and commerce. 



272 NORTH AMERICA. 



ATCHISON. 

Atchison is an important distributing point on the Mis- 
souri River, about twenty-five miles above Leavenworth. 

It enjoys good railroad facilities and the conveniencies of 
modern cities. The State Soldiers' Orphans' Home is 
located here. 

Manufacturing is a leading industry. 

LAWRENCE. 

Lawrence is a thriving town, built on both sides of the 
Kansas River, about twenty-five miles east of Topeka. The 
State University and a Government Indian School, called 
Haskell Institute, are located at this place. 

TOPEKA. 

Topeka, the capital of Kansas, is located principally on 
the right bank of the Kansas River. 

It is the seat of the State Reform School, an Asylum for 
the Insane, several colleges and the principal ofiices and 
shops of the Sante Fe system of railroads. These shops 
turn out locomotives, cars and railroad machinery of all 
kinds. Manufacturing is the leading industry. 

ARKANSAS CITY. 

Arkansas City, on the Arkansas River, just north of In- 
dian Territory, commands most of the trade with the Reser- 
vations, Indian agencies and military posts of the Indian 
Territor}^ An artificial waterfall, 22 feet in height, fed by 



WESTERN STATES. 273 



a canal, furnishes abundant water power for the numerous 
factories. 

FT. SCOTT. 

Ft. Scott, in the southeastern part of the State, near the 
Missouri line, is noted for having the largest machine shop 
west of St. Louis. It was here that sugar was first made 
from sorghum. The supply of coal, building stone and use- 
ful clays, in the vicinity, is excellent, and apparently inex- 
haustible. 

EMPORIA. 

Emporia is located southwest of Topeka, in the center of 
a very rich agricultural region. 

It is the seat of a State Normal School, and of the Col- 
lege of Emporia. 

GRASSHOPPERS. 

During the years 1873, 1874 and 1875, parts of the States 
of Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, were completely denuded 
of vegetation by the ravages of the countless hordes of the 
Rocky Mountain locust {caloptenus spretus) or grasshoppers, 
as they are commonly and incorrectly termed. This insect 
is not indigenous to the above named States, but came from 
parts of North Dakota and Montana, where their usual sup- 
ply of food had failed. It is estimated that the damage 
occasioned at that time in those States amounted to over 
$50,000,000. This insect is of the same family as those 
mentioned in the Bible, and make, it is said, a very palatable 
soup or biscuit. 



NORTH AMERICA. 






MISSOURI. 

lyocation. 

Latitude and Longitude. 

Mississippi. 

Des Moines. 
Rivers. ^ Missouri. 
I Osage. 
[ Kansas. 

C Ozark. 
Mountains. -I Iron. 

( Pilot Knob. 

'St. Louis. 

Jefferson City 

Kansas City. 

St. Charles. 

St. Joseph. 
^ Hannibal. 

C Animal. 
^ Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



Cities. 



Products. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

391. The Mound City. 

392. The Bluff City. 

393. Missouri Compromise. 

394. Old Bullion. 

395. Great Swamp. 

396. Iron Mountain. 

397. Earthquake of 1811-12. 

398. Bushwackers. 

399. Pennsylvania of the West. 



WESTERN vSTATES. 275 



QUERIES. 

440. What is the State Motto ? 

441. What battles of the Rebellion were fought in Mis- 
souri ? 

442. Are colored citizens eligible to State offices in Mis- 



souri 



443. What is the oldest town ? 

444. What city of Missouri was besieged during the 
Revolution ? 

445. Do paupers vote in this State? 

446. Who were the Bald Knobbers ? 

447. What noted men have lived in Missouri ? 

448. What is the area of the Missouri River basin ? 

449. Why is the navigation on the Missouri River danger- 
ous ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
ST. LOUIS. 

St. Louis, the metropolis of Missouri, and of the central 
Mississippi Valley, extends for 17 miles along the Missis- 
sippi River, 20 miles below the mouth of the Missouri 
River. 

It has a large number of immense and elegant fire-proof 
buildino-s, and has been growing rapidly during the past few 
3^ears. 

More than thirty-five railroads enter the city. The fam- 
ous Eads steel bridge, and a new $2,000,000 freight bridge, 
sand the Mississippi at this place. 



276 NORTH AMERICA. 



St lyouis ranks first in its trade in mules and horses, and 
second in the manufacture of flour. 

The city has numerous parks, the most famous of which 
is Shaw's Botanical Garden; this is said to be the finest in 
the world. It was private property for many years, but was 
finally presented to the city by Henry Shaw, the owner. 

Manufacture and commerce are the leading pursuits. 
JEFFERSON CITY. 

Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri, is located on high, 
rolling land, on the south bank of the Missouri River, near 
the center of the State. 

The principal puolic buildings are the State House, 
Governor's Mansion, State Armory, Penitentiary-, and Lin- 
coln Institute, an educational institution for colored persons 
who desire to become teacners. 

KANSAS CITY. 

Kansas City, the second city in size in Missouri, is situ- 
ated on the right bank of the Missouri River, near the Kan- 
sas border. The principal part of the city is built upon the' 
sides and top of a steep hill. 

The principal articles of commerce are lumber, farming 
implements and grain. 

Pork packing is an important industr>\ 
SAINT JOSEPH. 

Saint Joseph, a prosperous manufacturing and commercial 
center, on the Missouri River, a little over loo miles up 
from Kansas city, is the third city in size in Missouri. 

A fine steel railroad bridge spans the river at this place. 



WESTERN STATES. 277 



St. Joseph IS the seat of a State Asylum for the Insane, 
and of St. Joseph's College. 

SEDALIA. 

Sedalia is a thriving town in west central Missouri, and 

has a good trade in the region between the Missouri and 

Osage rivers. The locomotive works and car shops are the 

principal industries. 

ST. CHARLES. 

St. Charles, on the north bank of the Missouri River, is 

one of the oldest settlements in the State. It was settled by 

the Spanish in 1769. A magnificent railroad and wagon 

bridge crosses the river at this place. 

HANNIBAL. 

Hannibal, one of the most important cities between St. 
lyouis and St. Paul, is the terminus of several important lines 
of railway. It is noted for its production of lime and the 
manufacture of lumber. 

Hannibal College and St. Joseph Academy are located 

here. 

JOPLIN. 

Joplin, in southeastern Missouri, is in the center of a very 
rich lead and zinc producing region. Over one-seventh of 
total zinc product of the world comes from the immediate 
vicinity of Joplin. 

The mining and smelting of zinc and the manufacture of 
pig lead and white lead, are the most important industries. 

At Grand Falls, four miles from Joplin, is the largest elec- 
tric light and power plant in the world. The city and mines 
are furnished with light and motive power by this plant. 



278 



NORTH AMERICA. 



CALIFORNIA. 



CO 

a 
O 



(/3 

bo 



Boundary. 
Area. 

Population. 
Pacific Ocean. 
San Francisco Bay. 
Lake Tulare. 



Rivers. 



r Sacramento. 
} San Joaquin. 
( Colorado. 



o 

00 



Cape Mendocino. 

Santa Barbara. 
Mare. 

Colorado. 
Mojave. 

Sierra Nevada. 
Coast Range. 



Islands. 



i Deserts. 



Mountains 



Peaks. 



Cities. 



Products. 



Curiosities. 



{ 

f Whitney. 
I Shasta. 

San Francisco. 
Sacramento. 
San Jose. 
Los Angeles. 
Stockton. 
^Oakland. 

r Animal. 
< Vegetable. 
( Mineral. 



WEvSTERN STATES. 279 



suggestive: key notes. 

400. Golden Gate. 

401. Yosemite Valley. 

402. Silk Culture. 

403. Ostrich Farming. 

404. Argonauts of '49. 

405. Seasons. 

406. Coolies. 

407. The Summerland of America. 

408. The Queen City of the Pacific Slope. 

409. City of Angels. 

410. The Olive Culture. 

411. Leland vStanford University. 

412. State Park of California. 

413. Joss Houses. 

414. United States Mint. 

415. Grape Culture. 

416. Lava Beds. 

417. Vigilantes. 

418. The Lick Telescope. 

419. The City of Oaks. 

420. Geyser Region. 

QUERIES. 

450. Who first explored California, and what was itcalled ? 

451. Where is the United States Navy Yard in California ? 



280 NORTH AMERICA. 



452. How Old are the big trees ?r 

453. Which is larger, New England or California ? 

454. How many Rhode Islands could be made of Cali- 
fornia ? 

455. Which is the longer, the length of California or the 
distance from New York to Chicago ? 

456. Relate the story of John Marshall, or the discovery 
of gold. 

457. What is the motto of California? 

458. How are the big trees cut down ? 

459. With what disadvantages do the Californians have 
to contend ? 

460. Where are the quicksilver mines ? Use of quicksil- 
ver ? 

461. Describe one of the old Spanish Indian Missions, and 
tell how the Indians were treated. 

462. What are the highest falls in the world ? How high? 

463. Where is there a noted graphite mine? 

464. What islands noted for the production of eggs for San 
PVancisco market ? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

SAN FRANCISCO. 

San Francisco has the onl}^ natural harbor between San 
Diego on the south, and Astoria on the north. 

This city is the chief emporium of the Pacific coast, and 
is one of the wealthiest cities of America, the home of many 



WESTERN STATES. 281 



millionaires. The area of the city is about 41 square miles, 
with a population of nearly 300,000. It has fine public 
buildings, palatial residences, and business industries that 
almost rival those of the East. 

The Palace Hotel is nine stories high, cost six million 
dollars, and can accommodate 1,200 guests. An oil refinery 
here works up the product of the Pacific whaling fleet. 

The facilities for ship building are not excelled in any 
country. The wharf and docks with the commerce of 
nations, are objects of interest. 

There are many public parks, theaters, and other places 
of amusement. 

One interesting part of the town is Chinatown, where 
thousands of Chinese live as they do at home. They eat 
with chop-sticks and have their theatres, joss-houses, opium 
dens and gambling places. The Cliff House, the Seal Rock 
and Lone Mountain cemetery are sights which all visitors 
should see. 

We purposely leave the other cities of California for busy 
work. There are many other things to be talked about that 
are perhaps more interesting. 

THE BIGTREES. 

The large redwood trees of California have a world wide 
notoriety. A special agent of the General Land Office makes 
the following report in regard to the number: "There were 
2,675 trees found which measured over 45 feet in circumfer- 
ence, three feet above the ground. Forty -four are over 80 



282 NORTH AMERICA. 



feet in circumference and several are more than a hundred. 
One is io6 feet in circumference, or a little more than 35 
feet in diameter. 

The United States Congress has .set apart and reserved 
Mariposa Grove as a public park. The area consists of a 
tract about two miles square. There are numbers of these 
groves in different parts of the State. A large part of this 
marvelous timber on the Tule river has been purchased by 
private parties and is being cut down as fast as possible. 
Hundreds of trees, 20 and 30 feet in diameter have been 
destroyed. In this same region there was cut a monster 
tree 41 1-3 feet in diameter and 250 feet high. 

Many of the trees have received names, as "Mother of 
the Forest," ''Father of the Forest," "Picnic Tree," "Grizzly 
Giant," "Keystone State," etc. 

One of the large trees in felling required five men twenty- 
two days. After the trunk was severed it required three 
days' work with immense wedges to topple it over. The 
bark was a loot and a half thick. 

The first branch of the Grizzly Giant, about 200 feet from 
the ground, is six feet in diameter. 

A BIG DAM. 

What will be the largest dam in the world is to be con- 
structed in the San Mateo Canon in California. The dam 
will consist of a solid wall of concrete from hillside to hill- 
side. It will be 700 feet long and 170 feet high, 175 feet 
thick at the base, and twenty feet thick at the top. The 



WESTERN STATES. 2 S3 



reservoir which will be formed by this dam will have a ca- 
pacity of 32,000,000 gallons, and sometime in the future 
will be connected with the San Francisco water-shed by a 
tunnel five miles long. 

THE DEATH VALLEY. 

Death Valley is a volcanic region eight by forty miles 
long in Southern California. Its bed is over 150 feet below 
the sea level and the rocky sides rise from one to two thous- 
and feet. A river sinks out of sight in this valley. The 
air is intensely hot so that it is impossible to get much in- 
formation on this subject. 

It is even supposed that gases are emitted from cracks in 
the rocks, but this is not certainly known. It does not sup- 
port animal life, hence the name. 

A surveyor reports the temperature at 1 30° Fahr. , and 
that a man could not do without water there for an hour 
without becoming insane. 

IRRIGATION. 

Southern California is one of the few places which are 
doubly blessed with the wealth of two zones. For six months 
no rain falls, and the value of water cannot be appreciated 
by those who have not lived in vsuch a country. There is a 
saying, "If a man buys water he can get the land thrown 
in." 

There are four systems of irrigation practiced, — by flood- 
ing, which is wasteful; by furrows, where the streams are 
run through narrow ditches prepared for it; by basins, where 



284 NORTH AMERICA. 



the water is brought by pipes or flumes and discharged 
where needed, and by sub-irrigation, w^here the water is car- 
ried under ground and by opening valves the water moistens 
the soil but never comes to the surface. Every drop of 
water is valued, owned and utilized. Many troubles origi- 
nate in regard to the water rights. 



A CALIFORNIA FARM. 

The description selected is that of a ranch (Baldwin's) 
in the San Gabriel Valley. It is a part of the Old San 
Gabriel Mission. 

This farm has 1,500 acres of oak grove, 4,000 acres of 
grain, 500 acres of hay land, 150 acres in orange orchards, 
50 acres in almonds, 60 acres in walnuts, 25 acres in pear trees, 
50 acres in peaches, 20 acres of lemons, 500 acres in vines, 
small orchards of apricots, chestnuts and hazel nuts, besides 
thousands of acres of good pasturage. A visitor here would 
certainly be reminded of the "Vale of Cashmere," as des- 
cribed by Tom Moore. The entire estate exceeds 80,000 
acres, one half of which is one immense sheep ranch. The 
fruit harvest continues all the year round. From January' 
to May is the main orange harvest, though oranges hang on 
the trees all 3-ear. Currants, nectarines, apricots, figs, etc., 
are gathered in June. Apples, pears and peaches, are picked 
in Jul}" and August. Grapes are ripe in August and last 
until Januar3^ 



WESTERN STATES. 285 



A QUEER BRIDGE. 

In Sonoma County, a queer but successful piece of rail- 
road engineering is found. 

Between certain mills and the forests of redwood trees, is 
a deep ravine. In order to cross the ravine, the trees were 
sawed off on a level, and timbers and ties were laid on the 
stumps. Two huge redwood trees stand in the center of 
the ravine, with their tops cut seventy-five feet from the 
ground. 

Cars heavily laden pass over this bridge in perfect safety. 

In the Colorado desert, there is a large bed of rock salt, 
and the Southern Pacific Railroad is laying a tract to the 
salt bed, and has been obliged to grade the road with blocks 
of these crystals. This is the only instance where the road 
bed is laid and balasted in salt. The sea, which once rolled 
over that place, dried up, and left a vast bed of salt nearly 
fifty miles long. 

There is a remarkably large deposit of marble found in 
southern California. 

There are eleven shades of marble. 

Mono lyake is estimated to hold 78,000,000 tons of sodium 
carbonate. 

Thunder and lightning are exceedingly rare on the Pacific 
coast. A genuine thunderstorm has visited California but 
twice in twelve years. 



286 NORTH AMERICA. 



SALTON LAKE. 

Salton I^ake was discovered one morning in June, 1891. 
Its earliest appearance in liistor}^ was just after the Rio Col- 
orado had silted up its mouth until the sediment had made 
a filling clear across the old Gulf of California. The latter 
was then about twice as long as it is now. After the filling 
occurred, the northern part dried up ; the southern part is 
still the Gulf of California. In the desiccated northern part 
there were two "holes" rather deeper than the average. 
One of these is now Death Valley, Arroj^o del Muerte ; the 
other has been known b}'- the names Sink of the San Felipe, 
and latterly Salton Lake. If on any map of California you 
will draw a line from Los Angeles, California, to Yuma, 
Arizona, two-thirds of the distance from the former place 
will take 3'ou to the edge of a " dry lake. ' ' The latter is 
now Salton Lake, and is about 300 feet below sea level in 
its lowest place. The Southern Pacific Railway crosses it at 
a point 267 feet below sea level. Several years ago the Colo- 
rado overflowed its banks, and one of the overflows became 
quite a formidable stream, sending a flood of water many 
miles into the desert to the westward, most of which is much 
lower than the river's level. Last year the river turned nearly 
the whole of its current through this crevasse, and the over- 
flow was pushed into the sink. Thus the sink became 
Salton Lake. 



WEvSTERN STATES. 



287 



OREGON 



(U OS 



^Boundary. 
Area. 
Pacific Ocean. 



< 



CO 



Rivers. 



r Columbia, 
j Willamette. 
I John Day. 
1^ Snake. 



Cape Blanco. 

r Cascade Mountains. 
I Blue Mountainr^. 
Mountains. \ Mount Hood. 
I Mount Pitt. 
[ Mount Jefferson. 

Lake Klamath. 

Lava Beds. 



Cities. 



Products. 



Salem. 
Portland. 
The Dalles. 
Astoria. 

Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 
Manufactured. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

42 1 . Modoc War. 

422. Bald Hills. 

423. Grande Ronde. 



288 NORTH AMERICA. 



424. Great Fremont Basin. 

425. Glaciers. 

426. The Cascades. 

427. Sallal Berr3\ 

428. Donation Law. 

429. Hot Lake. 

430. Inland Empire. 

QUERIES. 

465. Wh}' was Oregon so named ? 

466. What town in this State was made famous in one of 
Washington Irving' s literarj^ productions? 

467. Are there any volcanosin Oregon ? 

468. What two seasons in Oregon? 

469. By what men was Oregon first explored ? 

470. Who named the Columbia River ? Why name it 
Coluvibiaf 

471. Are oysters found along the Pacific coast? 

472. How do vessels pass the Willamette Falls? 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

PORTLAND. 

Portland, the metropolis of Oregon, is situated on the left 
bank of the Willamette, twelve miles above its mouth. 

It is easily reached by the largest ocean vessels, and has 
a large trade direct with foreign countries. 

It handles most of the commerce of the Columbia River 



WESTERN STATES. 289 



region, and has large manufacUires of lumber, iron ware, 
vehicles, leather goods and furniture. 

Salmon fishing and canning, is one o^ the leading occu- 
pations. 

Portland has excellent railroad facilities, and enjoys an 
extensive wholesale trade. 



SALEM. 

Salem, the capital of Oregon, is located on the right bank 
of the Willamette River, about 50 miles above Portland. 

The excellent water power is utilized by many factories of 
various kinds. The principal articles of manufacture are 
flour, lumber, woolen goods, stoves, vehicles and farming 
implements. 

The principal public institutions located here are Willa- 
mette Universit}^, Institute for Deaf [and Dumb, School for 
the Blind, Asylum for the Insane, Orphans' Home and 
Oregon penitentiary. 

A Government Indian Industrial School is located five 
miles north of Salem. 

THE DALLES. 

The Dalles is a thriving town on the south bank of the 
Columbia, about 200 miles from its mouth. 

Salmon fishing and canning is the leading industry, but 
the city has also a large trade in grain, flour and lumber. 



!90 NORTH AMERICA. 

• 



More salmon :are found in the Columbia than any other 
river. They are caught principally by immense fish wheels 
whose paddles are furnished with, pockets of netting. The 
wheels are caused to revolve by the river current, and as the 
salmon attempt to ascend the river they are scooped up in 
the wheel-pockets, and are thus captured. During the sea- 
son of 1890 over 4,400 tons were shipped from The Dalles 
alone. 

The scenery along the river in this vicinity is pictur- 
esquel}^ grand. 

ASTORIA. 

Astoria, named in honor of John Jacob Astor, under 
whose management it was founded, in 181 1, is located on 
the south bank of the Columbia River, about 12 miles from 
the ocean. Salmon fishing is the principal occupation, 
more than three thousand persons being engaged in catch- 
ing, and over two thousand are occupied in the canneries. 

Several streets are built over the water upon piles driven 
deep into the earth below. Ship building and the manu- 
facture of lumber are important industries. 

WILAMETTE VALLEY. 

This valley, lying between the Cascade and Coast Range 
Mountains, has an area of about 7,500 square miles, and is 
one of the most fertile regions in the world. All the crops 
and fruits, common to the temperate zone, can here be grown 
to perfection and in great abundance. Bordering upon the 



WESTERNS TATES. 291 

valley are thousands of acres of ''foot hills" that afford ex- 
cellent pasturage and are devoted to grazing. 

The Falls of the Willamette at Oregon City now afford a 
powerof over 200,000 horsepower. The river here descends 
about 40 feet. 

CRATER LAKE. 

Lake Crater, the deepest inland water in the United States, 
is located in southwestern Oregon. Its shores are so steep 
that the surface of the water can be reached at only a few 
points. 

The depths measured were from 835 feet to 1996 feet, and 
it is believed that there are still greater depths. 

The altitude of the Lake is over 7,000 feet. 

HOW THE NORTHWEST WAS SAVED. 

Oregon and Washington are now bound to the Union by- 
iron bands. Fifty years ago a statesman came near trading 
them off to Great Britain. The foresight of a home mission- 
ary, Dr. Marcus Whitman, saved them to the nation. 

Dr. Whitman had crossed the plains and the mountains 
to Oregon, and knew, from a few years' experience, the 
value of the country. He also knew that the Hudson Bay 
Company were anxious to obtain possession of the whole 
Northwest, and had circulated the report that it was impos- 
sible for immigrants to cross the mountains in wagons. 

At a dinner given in 1842, where the doctor and several 
of the company's chief officers were present, news was re- 
ceived that a band of British immigrants had crossed the 



292 NORTH AMERICA. 



mountains. Toasts were drank in honor of the event. "Now 
the Americans may whistle; the country is ours," said one 
of the Englishmen, boastingly. 

*'God help me, the country is not yours!" said the doctor 
to himself, as he left the table. The next day he started 
for Washington on horseback. He made the journey in 
winter, and with frozen limbs called on Daniel Webster, the 
Secretar}^ of State. On presenting the case, he was blufl9.y 
told by Mr. Webster that the country was worthless. 

"Wagons cannot cross the mountains," said the secretary. 
Sir George Simpson who is here affirms that. I am about 
trading that worthless region for some valuable concessions 
in relation to the Newfoundland fisheries." 

Finding that a treaty had already been approved by the 
Senate and was awaiting formal ratification and the signa- 
ture of President Tyler, Dr. Whitman sought the president. 
After listening to his story, Mr. Tyler said, — 

"Dr. Whitman 3- our frozen limbs and leather breeches 
attest your sincerity. Can you take emigrants across the 
mountains in wagons?" 

"Give me six months and I will take one thousand emi- 
grants across, ' ' answered the doctor. ' ' 

"Well," replied the president, "if you take them across 
the treaty shall not be ratified." 

In 1843, ^ band of emigrants, under the guidance of the 
doctor, started from Missouri for Oregon. A deputation 
from the Hudson Ba)^ Company met them on the plains, who 
afiirmed that it was impossible to cross the mountains with 



WESTERN STATKvS. 293 

their wagons. The emigrants almost decided to leave their 
wagons and finish the journey on horseback. 

As this course would have ruined Dr. Whitman's plan of 
saving Oregon to the United States, he labored with the 
leaders of the band until they consented to follow the Doc- 
tor's advice and guidance. The band did cross the mountains 
in their wagons, and the treaty was not ratified, and the fer- 
tile Northwest was saved to the Nation. 



204 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Washington. 
1889. 



WASHINGTON. 

'Boundary. 
Comparative size. 
Pacific Ocean. 
Puget Sound. 
Strait of Fuca. 
Haro Canal. 



Capes. 



Rivers. 



Mountains. 



Cities. 



Products. 



I Flattery. 
I Hancock. 

r Columbia. 

} Snake. 
( Spokane. 

r Cascade. 
J Coast Range. 
1 Mount Ranier. 
[^ Mount Baker. 

r Seattle. 
I Tacoma. 
"j Olympia. 
I Walla Walla. 



fFish. 
Grain. 



] Hops. 
I Coal. 
1^ Iron. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

SEATTLE. 

Seattle, the metropolis of Washington, is situated on 
Elliott's Bay, an arm of Puget Sound. Manufacturing and 



WESTERN STATEwS. 205 



commerce are the principal industries. The State University 
is located here. The city enjoys all the advantages of mod- 
ern cities. 

Seattle was named from an Indian chief 

TACOMA. 

Tacoma, one of the most prosperous cities of Washington 
is located on Commencement Bay, an inlet of Puget Sound. 
It has an excellent natural harbor, capable of safel}^ floating 
the largest vessels. It is the western terminus of the Union 
Pacific Railroad. 

Tacoma is in the center of a countrj^ rich in resources, 
both for agriculture, manufacturing and commerce. Ship 
building, manufacture of lumber, and exportation of grain 
and coal, are important industries. The scenery i i this 
vicinity is grandly beautiful. 

The "Anna Wright Seminary " (for females) is located at 
this place. 

WALLA WALLA. 

Walla Walla is a thriving town of southeastern Washing- 
ton, on the Walla Walla River. It is in the midst of a very 
rich agricultural region, and is the seat of Whitman College, 
the State Penitentiary, and a United States army post. 

WEEPING TREES. 

In the forests of Washington and surrounding country 
there are trees wdiich Vv^eep copiously in clear, bright days 
when no dew is visible elsewhere. 



296 NORTH AMERICA. 



The dripping is so profuse that the ground underneath is 
almost saturated. The phenomenon in this case is caused by 
the remarkable condensing power of the leaves of the fir, 
and it occurs onl}^ when the relative humidity is near the 
dew point. The dripping ceases after lo or ii o'clock in the 
morning, but resumes at or near sunset. 

OLYMPIA. 

Olympia, the capital of Washington, is a small city loca- 
ted on a peninsula at the head of Puget Sound. Good 
v/ater power is furnished by a small river that enters the 
Sound at this place. Extensive and valuable forests of fir 
are in this vicinity. 

SPRAGUE. 

Sprague, about 40 miles west of Spokane Falls, is the seat 
of the Northern Pacific repair shops, and is an important 
.shipping point for grain and stock 

PORT TOWNSEND. 

Port Townsend, a thriving city on Puget Sound, about 90 
miles from the Pacific Ocean, is the port of entry for the 
Puget Sound District. A country rich in agriculture and 
mineral resources surrounds it. It handles most of the trade 
with Alaska, and has important manufacturing interests. 

The great timber resources of the Pacific Northwest can 
scarcely be realized by those who have not visited the im- 
mense forests of giant trees, growing so close together in 



WESTERN STATES. 297 



many places that it is almost impossible to travel through 
the woods. Twenty million acres of land are covered with a 
growth of wood which will cut an average of 25,000 feet of 
merchantable lumber. Much of it will cut an average of 
100,000 feet or more, while single trees are common that will 
cut 3,000 feet each. The Port Townsend Leader estimatQS 
the quantity of merchantable lumber, standing in the for- 
ests of Washington, at 160,000,000,000 feet — sufficient to 
supply all markets of America for generations, and 3^et send 
fleets laden with ship timbers to every port of the civilized 
world. Oregon, in the Coast and Cascade ranges, and in 
the counties along the ocean from the Columbia River to 
the California line, has as much more timber, and these two 
great sister States, unless devastated by forest fires, will 
never run short of building material. 

At Port Gamble the visitor is shown the stump of the 
tree that nourished the spars for the Great Eastern, and 
is told of the flag staff, 185 feet long, which was cut for the 
Boston Jubilee, but owing to a crooked road it could not be 
sent in time. 

The logs are cut by two circular saws, which saw from 
above and below, each saws one-half the log. The ordinary 
log cuts are 24 and 32 feet long. Sometimes loo-foot cuts 
are made for special purposes. 



298 



NORTH AMERICA. 



a; CO 



C^ 
00 

00 



MONTANA. 

Location. 
Comparative size. 

r Missouri. 



Rivers, 



Mountains. 



Cities. 



Products. 



I Milk. 
-{ Yellowstone. 
I Big Horn. 
I Clark's. 

Rocky. 
Bitter Root. 

C Helena. 
} Butte City. 
(Ft. Benton. 



I Bi 



( Ar 
I Mi 



Animal. 
Mineral. 



LARGEST COUNTY. 

The county of Custer in Montana is the largest county in 
the United States. It contains 13,569,920 acres, and is 150 
miles long and 125 miles wide. It is a place of historic in- 
terest, containing, as it does, the site of the great battle of 
Little Big Horn, where Custer and his force were massacred. 

MONTANA TUNNEL. 

Eighteen miles from Helena there is a tunnel 6,200 feet 

long. It runs through a large mountain of the Boulder 

divide. 

A CURIOUS RABBIT. 

What is known as a snow rabbit, that came from the 
region near the her.d waters of the Yellowstone River, has 



WESTERN vSTATES. 299 

been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington. 
It has feet nearly as broad as the human hand, that serve 
the same purpose as the snow shoes of the Indian or hunter. 
Its principal food is Juniper berries and Alpine seed. The 
question arises : How came the rabbit to have those broad 
feet ? Could generations of common rabits, by running for 
thousands of years on the snow, have developed these 
natural ' ' snow-shoes ? ' ' 

HELENA. 

Helena, the capital and principal commercial city of the 
State, is situated in the west central part of the State, in 
Prickly Pear Valley, about 12 miles from the Missouri 
River. 

The principal business is mining, manufacturing and 
commerce. Gold and silver are the principal minerals pro- 
duced. 

In 1889, a gold bar, weighing 7,000 ounces, and worth 
$101,385.50, was cast here. It was the largest gold bar 
ever made. 

A good plan to do here, if time permits, is to describe a 
noted cattle ranche, the cow boys, and their manner of liv- 
ing, the marking and branding of the cattle, the round ups, 
and the stampede of the cattle. 

Tell of the dangers on the prairies of fire, of storms, of 
wild beasts, and even Indians. 

GREAT FALLS. 

Great Falls, near the center of the State, on the . Missouri 
River, is near the only series of falls on the whole river. 



300 



NORTH AMERICA. 



Within a distance of ten miles, the river descends over 500 
feet. This great water power and the great mineral resources 
in the immediate vicinit}^ will doubtless make this a great 
manufacturing cit3^ Coal, lead, silver, iron and copper are 
found in abundance. 

BUTTE CITY. 

Butte Cit}', named for the mountain peak, Big Butte, is 
the largest mining city in the world. It is located about 60 
miles southwest of Helena. 

Copper, silver and gold are the principal minerals mined, 
crushed and smelted here. The value of the product of 
Silver Bow County, of which Butte City is the county seat, 
for 1890, was over $26,000,000. Butte City enjoys all the 
conveniences of a modern metropolis, and is sometimes 
called ''The Silver City." 



o 

^ o 

rt On 

nd 00 



Rivers. 



IDAHO. 

Boundary. 

Comparative size. 

Snake. 
Clark's. 

Bitter Root Mountains. 

C Boise City. 
Cities. ^ Idaho City. 

( Spokane Falls. 

^ General list of products. 



WESTERN vSTATES. 301 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
SPOKANE FALLS. 

Spokane Falls has had a remarkable experience, as shown 
by the following clipping from a Chicago daily newspaper : 

' * For a city to suddenly find itself in another State with- 
out being removed, is a new municipal experience; but this 
has been realized in the wild and wooly West. It is now 
said that the boundary line between Idaho and Washington 
is thirty miles farther west than was supposed, so that 
Spokane and its 30,000 inhabitants, and a thickl}^ .settled 
strip of territory, are added to Idaho." 

The river here descends about 1 50 feet, in the distance of 
half a mile, afforling immense water power that is used by 
the many factories of various kinds. A very rich farming 
country stretches north, west and south of the city, while to 
the eastward are the Coeur D'Alene Mountains, with rich 
deposits of gold, silver, copper and mica. The scener}'- 
along the river, below the city, is very picturesque. 

BOISE CITY. 

Boise City, the capital of Idaho, is located on the Boise 
River, in the southwestern part of the State. The valley is 
very fertile, and the neighboring mountains are rich in min- 
erals. 

The climate is salubrious. The city is supplied with 
mountain water. A little stream flows through every street. 

A United States assay office is located here. 



302 



NORTH AMERICA. 



MOSCOW. 

Moscow is a thriving town located in western Idaho, in 
the center of a rich agricultural region. An immense and 
excellent supply of timber is near at hand on the mountain 
sides. It is the seat of the University of Idaho. 



be 



WYOMING. 

' Location. 
Comparative size. 

f Big Horn. 
Rivers. 



! Big Cheyenne. 
\ North Platte. 
1 Green. 



i Mountains. ^ -„• -rV* 

[Big Horn. 



Fremont's Peak. 
Cities. 



( Cheyenne. 
I Laramie Cit3\ 



Yellowstone Park. 
Products. 



Wyoming is, at present (1892), the youngest member of 
the sisterhood of States. 

Its area is about 100,000 square miles, its breadth from 
east to west being 365 miles, and from north to south 
275 miles. The general appearance of the country is moun- 
taneous, with valle3^s, broad rolling plains, sloping foot- 
hills, and bold bluffs and buttes. The elevation ranges from 



WESTERN STATES. 303 



3,500 to 14,000 feet above the sea level. There are lofty 
mountain ranges covered with everlasting snow, deep canons 
and elevated plateaus forming natural parks, of which the 
most celebrated is the Yellowstone National Park. The 
present population of Wyoming is estimated at from 60,000 
to 75,000 whites. The Indians are all on reservations, are 
peaceful, and are being educated to mechanical and farming 
pursuits. 

Stock raising is the most important industry. In 1888 the 
range stock numbered 2,000,000 cattle, 1,000,000 vSheep and 
goats, and 100,000 mules and horses, all worth, in round 
numbers, $75,000,000. The grazing lands represent about 
one-half the area of the new State 

The new State is rich in minerals, 30,000 square miles of 
its surface being underlaid by coal-bearing strata alone. The 
output of coal in 1889 was 1,813,420 tons. Besides coal 
there are iron, deposits of soda, sulphur, salt, slate, gyp- 
sum, copper, tin,- mica, marble, sandstone, magnesia and 
other minerals. Both lode and placer gold mines abound. 
Extensive placer mines have been discovered during the 
last year, near the head of the Big Sandy River, and a com- 
pany has been formed to construct a canal to work the mines 
by hydraulic methods. The oil fields are extensive, cover- 
ing a belt thirty miles wide and 200 miles long. Mineral 
springs of different kinds have been found in various sec- 
tions, and some of them have become popular resorts. 

The farm products are the usual grains of the temperate 
zone, and alfalfa, which furnishes three cuttings per year. 



304 NORTH AMERICA. 



The Union Pacific Railroad traverses the southern border 
of the new State, and has several branch lines to the north 
and south. There are schools wherever there are enough 
children to attend, and good teachers. Wyoming is larger 
than New England, and has more natural resources of all 
kinds. Its water power is unlimited, and its facilities for 
manufacturing industries are of the best. At the present 
time there are ten organized counties in Wyoming. Chey- 
enne is the capital and the largest town. 
CHEYENNE. 

Cheyenne, the capital of Wyoming, is located in the south- 
eastern part, about 40 miles from Nebraska, and 12 miles 
from Colorado. It is in the center of a great stock-raising 
territory-, and is the home of man}^ wealthy ranch owners. 

The Union Pacific Railroad and a branch of the B. & 
M. road have costl}^ depots here. Ft. Russel, a few miles 
west, is the largest United Statesmilitarj- post in that region. 

LARAMIE CITY. 

I,aramie City, about 60 miles west of Che3'enne, 0:1 the 
Union Pacific Railroad, is a thriving town surrounded by a 
country well adapted to agriculture and grazing. 

It has excellent schools and is the seat of the University 
of Wyoming. The State Fish Hatcher}^ and a United vStates 
Penitentiary are located here. 

The Soda I^akes, 13 miles south of I^aramie, cover over 
one hundred acres and contain many million cubic feet of 
pure sulphate of soda, in a crystallized condition. The de- 
posite of soda is from 9 to 1 2 feet in thickness. 



WESTERN STATES. 304a 

RAWLINS. 

Rawlins is a Government distributing point, the third in 
size in the State. The Union Pacific have shops and round 
house here. 

There are quarries of fine building stone near. 

The most valuable mine in the Rockies for raw material of 
which red metallic paint is made, is within a few miles of 
this place. 

It is the seat of the State penitentiary. 

THE NATIONAL PARK. 

This Park, 55 by 65 miles in area, is located principally 
in northwestern Wyoming, but partly in Montana and Idaho. 
We shall only enumerate a few of the sights, leaving the 
descriptions for busy work. Good descriptions may be found 
in railroad folders, gtiide books, etc. 

Mammoth Hot Springs. 

The Mud Volcanoes. 

Obsidian Cliffs. 

Petrified Forests. 

The Yellowstone I^ake. 

Sulphur Hills. 

The Giant Geyser. 

Old Faithful. 

The Paint Pots. 

The Hoodoo Region. 

The Fauna and Flora. 



304b NORTH AMERICA. 



Midwa}^ Basin. 
Upper Geyser Basin. 
Gibbon Canon and Falls. 
Morris Geyser Basin. 
The Upper Falls. 
Lake Yellowstone. 

''There is nothing in the Park, [writes Prof. Whitwell], 
there are few sights in the world so wondrous and so weird 
as the Grj^at Fali^ and Grand Canon of the Yellow- 
STONE. The scene from the brink of the falls, looking into 
the profound depth of the canon, is of strange majesty and 
indescribably awe-inspiring. The advancing volume of 
water flows rapidly and compactly to the brink, and falls 
with a tremendous shock into a large, circular, foaming 
caldron, bounded by cliffs a thousand feet high. Along the 
sides of the canon, the walls are in many places fashioned 
into pyramids. The tints of yellow, deep red, etc., are due 
to the action of the hot springs, the weather, the presence 
of sulphur and the oxidation of iron, which here as else- 
where, is Nature's principal pigment. I can echo the words 
of the Rev. Dr. Wayland Hoyt — that to have seen the 
Grand Canon of the Yellowstone is an epoch in my life. 
The Crater of Vesuvius is the only place in which I remem- 
ber to have seen such a variety and wealth of natural color ; 
but where the palette and pencil fail, how feeble the pen ! 
John Ruskin should see and tell of this place. ' ' 



WESTERN vSTATES. 



305 



NEVADA. 



CO ^. 

^ cd 
H CO 



Location. 
Comparative size. 

Rivers. 



Lakes. 



f Colorado. 
I Humboldt. 

( Tahoe. 
] Walker's. 
/ Pyramid. 






Great Interior Basin. 

( Carson City. 
Cities. \ Eureka. 

( Virginia City. 
General list of products. 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

CARSON CITY, 

Tlie capital of Nevada, is situated on Carson River, about 
lo miles from Lake Tahoe. It is the oldest town in the 
State, and was named in honor of the famous scout, 'Kit 
Carson. 

The manufacture of mining and mill machinery, is an 
important industry. 

Besides the Capitol, the Orphans' Home and a State 
Prison are here located. 

RENO, 

On the Trukee River, about 50 miles from Virginia City, is 
is a flourishing town, and an important distributing point 
for that region. At this place are located the University of 
Nevada, the State Asylum for the Insane, a State Prison 
and the buildings of the State Agricultural Society. 



306 NORTH AMERICA. 



VIRGINIA CITY, 

In the western part of the State, is the largest town in the 
State. 

It has had a checkered career — sometimes "booming," 
and again almost depopulated. 

Mining is the business of the place. 

Water for the town is brought 2 1 miles in pipes and 
flumes from Lake Marietta. 

LAKE TAHOE. 

Lake Talioe is the highest navigable water in the United 
States, and lies among the snow-clad mountains of Sierra 
Nevada. 

This lake is particularly noted for its mountain 
scenery, for the remarkable clearness of the water, and 
for being one of the most picturesque summer resorts of the 
West. 

Water sponts are of frequent occurrence here, owing to 
the great mountain chasms down which conilicting currents 
of air are brought to bear on the lake. 

It has been said that more cyclones and water spouts can 
be seen in a single season on this lake than a sailor would 
see in three years' service on the ocean. Steamboats ply 
on the lake during the summer season. 

Ferns, lilies and other flowers of all shades and colors 
bloom in profusion during July and August, around this 
lake, at an altitude of 6,250 feet above sea level. 

SILVER MINES, 

The great silver deposits of the world — those of them 
which are known — were all discovered by accident. 



WESTERN STATES. 807 

The celebrated Comstock lode, richest of all silver mines, 
was a chance find. In the summer of 1859, Peter O' Riley 
and Pat Mclyaughlin were located at Gold Hill, Nevada. 

They were working for gold, and were in hard luck. 
Needing water for their rockers, they dug a hole four feet 
deep and? came upon an outcropping of the marvelous lode. 
It was a bed of black sulphide of silver. The men did not 
know what it was, but tried it for gold, and were astonished 
to find the bottoms of their rockers covered with the yellow 
stuff, which they were soon taking out at the rate of $1,000 
a day. '* Old Pancake " Comstock, another prospector, so 
called because he fed on pancakes chiefly, claimed and 
secured a share in the property. They all were in the habit 
of heartily cursing the "infernal blue sand," subsequentlj- 
proved to be silver ore, which clogged the rockers. The 
famous * * Big Bonanza ' ' was a slice of ore, nearly half silver, 
180 feet in width, and of unknown depth, extending across 
the Comstock Lode. For many years past it has 34elded 
from $600 to $1,000 a ton. 

Good luck seldom attends those who discover mines. 
Comstock sold his share for Ji 1,000, went broke, and blew 
his brains out. O' Riley disposed of his slice for $50,000, 
lost the money, and west to prospecting again. He became 
insane and thought he heard voices in the rocks, prattling of 
great crevices filled with pure silver, and caverns lined with 
gold. Finally he was shut up in a lunatic asylum. "Old 
Virginia" Finnimore, who located a claim on the lode, and 
gave his name to Virginia City, baptising it with a bottle of 
whisky, was thrown, while drunk, by a bucking mustang, 
and killed. 

Silver has one interesting use that is very little known. 
Nearly all good mirrors are backed with it, and not with 
mercury, as is generally supposed. Before it is put on the 



308 



NORTH AMERICA. 



glass has to be cleaned with the utmost care. Everything 
depends on that, because if it is not perfectly clean the 
metal will flake oflf. 



UTAH 



Location 
Lakes. 



Rivers. 



( Great Salt Lake. 

1 Utah. 

f Green. 

( Jordan. 
Wasatch Mountains. 
Great Salt Lake Desert. 

Cities. I S-lt Lake City. 

( Ogden. 

List of Products. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 



SALT LAKE CITY, 

The capital of Utah, and the principal city of Mormondom, 
on the Jordan River, about 15 miles from the Great Salt 
Lake. The city covers an area of nine square miles, and 
has a population of 50,000. 

The Mormon Temple, 100x200 feet, is built of white 
granite, and cost J 10, 000, 000. 

Manufacturing and smelting are the leading industries. 

The streets of the city are wide, well shaded, and have in 
each running streams of water. The water is brought from 
a mountain stream. Water for irrigation is brought 20 
miles from Utah Lake. 



WESTERN STATES. 309 



PREVO, 

The "Garden City of Utah," is located on Utah Lake, 
about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City. The country has a 
fertile soil and produces good crops. Wool is the principal 
export. The city has excellent water power, and rich mines 
of coal and iron are near at hand. The most important 
manufactures are woolen goods, flour, lumber and fire-proof 
paint. 

OGDEN, 

A prosperous town, and the leading railroad center of Utah, 
is located at the junction of Weber and Ogden rivers, not 
far from Great Salt Lake. It is the meeting point of the 
Union Pacific Railroad, from the east, and the Central 
Pacific Railroad from the west. Its being the terminus of 
many railroads was probably the origin of its nickname, 
"Junction City." 

Streams of water, brought from the mountains, flow in 
every street. 

The principal mineral products in the neighborhood are 
iron, salt, lime, building stone and coal. 

The excellent water power furnished by the falls in Ogden 
canon is just beginning to be used by manufacturing estab- 
lishments. 

SALT LAKE. 

Four barrels of water of the Great Salt Lake will leave, 
after evaporation, nearly a barrel of salt. The lake was 
discovered in the year 1820, and no outlet has yet been 
ascertained. Four or five large streams empty themselves 
into it; and the fact of its still retaining its saline proper- 
ties seems to point to the conclusion that there exists some 
secret bed of saline deposit over which the waters flow, and 



310 NORTH AMERICA. 



that thus they continue salt — for though the lake may be the 
residue of an im:nense sea, which once covered the whole of 
that region, yet by its continuing so salt, with the amount 
of fresh water poured into it daily, the idea of the exist- 
ence of some such deposit, from which it receives its supply, 
seems to be only too probable. For the past fifteen years, 
until last year, the lake has been gradually rising; but in 
1879 it receded two or three fe-^t — a most unusual occurrence 
— owing to the exceptionally warm weather. There are no 
fish in the lake, but myriads of small flies cover its surface. 
The buoyancy of the water is so great that it is not an easy 
matter to drown in it. The entire length of Salt Lake is 
eighty-five miles. Compared with the Dead Sea, the Great 
Salt Lake is longer by forty-three miles, and broader by 
thirty-five miles. The Mormons visit the lake in large 
numbers for the purpose of bathing. Their bodies are all 
encrusted with salt, upon coming out of the water, and 
many of them say their health is improved by dressing with 
the salt upon their bodies. 

There are ten iron mountains in Iron County, in Utah, 
estimated to contain 130,000,000 tons of ore Utah is richer 
in iron than any other section of the United States. 



THE VALLEY OF DEATH. 

The Valley of Death, a spot almost as terrible as the 
prophet's valley, of dry bones, lies just north of the Old 
Mormon road to California, in Utah — a region thirty miles 
broad, and surrounded, except at two points, by inaccessible 
mountains. 

It is totally devoid of water and vegetation, and the 
shadow of bird or wild beast never darkens its white, glar- 
ing sands. 



WESTERN STATES. 311 



The Kansas Pacific railroad engineers discovered it, and 
some papers which show the fate of the lost * ' Montgomery 
train," which came south from Salt Lake in 1850, guided 
by a Mormon. 

When near Death's Valley, some one came to the con- 
clusion that the Mormon knew nothing about the country, 
so they appointed one of their number as leader, and broke 
off from their party. 

Their leader turned due west ; so with the people and 
wagons and flocks, he traveled three days, and then 
descended into the broad valley, whose treacherous mirage 
promised water. They reached the center, but only the 
white sand, bounded by scorching peaks, met their gaze. 

Around and around the valley they wandered,, and one 
by one the men died, and the panting flocks stretched them- 
selves in death under the hot sun. Then the children, cry 
ing for water, died at their mother's breast, and with swollen 
tongues and burning vitals, the mothers followed. Wagon 
after wagon was abandoned, and strong men tottered, and 
raved, and died. 

After a week's wandering, a dozen survivors found some 
water in the hollow of a mountain. It lasted but a short 
time, when all perished but two, who escaped out of 
the valley, and followed the trail of their former companions. 

Eighty-seven families, with hundreds of animals, perished 
here, and now, after seventy-two years, the wagons still 
stand complete, the iron work and ties are bright, and the 
shriveled skeletons lie side by side. 



312 



NORTH AMERICA. 



m 



a (^ 



Boundary. 
Area. 



Rivers. 



COLORADO. 



South Platte. 

Republican. 

Arkansas. 

Rio Grande. 

Grand. 

Green. 



Rocky Mountains. 



6 ^ 



Peaks. 



Cities. 



(Long's. 
I Pike's. 
(Spanish. 

(Denver. 
Leadville. 
Colorado City. 
Gunnison. 

r Wild. 



Products. ■< 



Animals. 



Vegetable. 



Mineral. 



Domestic. 



r Cattle. 
} Horses. 
(Sheep. 



( Grains 

} Fruits. 

( Timber. 

f Gold and Silver. 

Lead and Copper. 

Coal and Iron. 

Oil and Stone. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

432. Queen City of the Plains. 

433. Snow Line. 

434. The Divide. 



WESTERN STATES. 313 



435. Mountain of the Holy Cross. 

436. The Balanced Rock. 

437. Monument Park. 

438. Grand Caverns. 

439. Echo Lake. 

440. Chalk Cliifs. 

441. The Ute Pass. 

QUERIES. 

472. Why are there no cats in Leadville ? 

473. Why must people on the mountain tops do without 
boiled eggs? 

474. Describe the cog-railway up to the signal station, on 
Pike's Peak. 

475. What rivers rise in the mountains of Colorado ? 

476. For what diseases is the climate of Colorado bene- 
ficial ? 

477. What explorers once visited this region ? 

47S. Are there any railroad tunnels through the Rocky 
Mountains ? 

479. What is meant by "salting " a mine ? 

480. What is the highest peak in Colorado ? 

Some Monday morning place the word " Mines " on the 
blackboard for a Friday afternoon talk. Let every pupil be 
required to be ready to say something upon, or pertaining 
to that subject, and the more the better. 

ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

Colorado, like ancient Gaul, is divided into three parts ; 
the mountain range, including the peaks ; the foot hills, and 
the plains. 

In the mountain range are over 200 peaks, each nearly 
13,000 feet high, and two dozen peaks each over 14,000 feet 



314 NORTH AMERICA. 

in altitude. Among several ranges of mountains are the 
famous North, South, Middle, and San Louis Parks. 

The parks are surrounded by mountain ranges, and are 
remarkable physical features of Colorado. Fiom these 
plateaus issue the great streams which flow in all directions 
from this State. These plateaus are broken by valleys, 
v/herein grow grasses, and flowers, and by hills covered with 
forests, wherein wild game abounds. 

Among the many attractions of this region are the peaks, 
the great mines of gold and silver, Manitou and its curious 
formations of nature, Cheyenne Mountain, distinguished 
as the final resting place of Helen Hunt Jackson, and the 
Garden of the Gods, where the monoliths and curious 
figures receive appropriate names. 

The thermal springs, the falls and cascades, the caves and 
canons, are all objects of interest. 

About one-third of Colorado is under cultivation., which 
is carried on by a system of irrigation. This State is par- 
ticularly rich in mineral resources. 

DENVER. 

Denver is the metropolis and wealthiest city of Colorado. 
It is almost one mile above the sea level. 

The city is metropolitan in every respect. Its massive 
business blocks, its noble public buildings, its universities 
and schools, its elegant hotels and private residences, are 
indicative of intelligence, wealth, and good government. 

As a manufacturing and railroad center it leads any other 
city in the State. The sewerage is perfect, the water supply 
abundant, the climate healthful and delightful, and the 
scenery is magnificent. 

The Capital, the United States Mint, the Union Depot, the 



WESTERN vSTATES. 315 



Opera House, and other buildings, are a few of the noted 
attractions of the ' ' Queen City of the Plains. ' ' 

PUEBLO. 

Pueblo is the center of the corn, wheat and fruit produc- 
ing valley of the Arkansas in Colorado. 

The largest steel and iron works west of the Missouri River, 
are at Pueblo. It is the seat of several large smelting estab- 
lishments, foundries and machine shops, where miners' tools 
are manufactured. It is in the midst of the famous coal 
fields, and near the petroleum region, from which a pipe line 
is laid to the city. 

The Colorado Mineral Palace, a permanent exhibition of 
the minerals of the State, is located here. 

Pueblo has several artesian wells, which have gained the 
reputation of curative powers. The water is shipped to 
different parts of the United States. 

LEADVILLE, 

A famous mining town, is a little over loo miles southwest 
of Denver. Gold was discovered here in i860, and for 
awhile great excitement prevailed, and the place was 
thronged with miners from far and near. It still has valu- 
able mines of silver, gold and lead, that are thoroughly 
worked. The population has been decreasing slowly of late 

years. 

OURAY. 

Ouray, " Gem of the Rockies," is in southwest Colorado, 
Its altitude is over 7,000 feet. Its hot springs have a tem- 
perature of 140° Fahr. There has been no city tax levied 
since 1883. 

It is a resort for invalids, and the seat of a miners' hos- 
pital. 



316 NORTH AMERICA. 



COLORADO SPRINGS. 

Colorado Springs is a noted health resort and starting 
place from which to view the wonders of Colorado. It is 
the seat of the Mining Institute, the Colorado College, and 
the Institute for Deaf Mutes. 

From this city to the summit of Pike's Peak is i6 miles ; 
to Manitou Springs, 5 miles ; to the " Garden of the Gods," 
4 miles ; Monument Park, 8 miles ; and Glen Eyrie, 5 miles. 

PIKE'S PEAK SIGNAL STATION. 

"Old Probabilities, " as the weather manufactory is called 
sometimes, is occasionally a little erratic. The Weather 
Bureau, as now organized, is a military institution. 

There are i , 200 stations under the charge of men belong- 
ing to the Signal Corps of the Army. 

An outfit at each station consists of a barometer, ther- 
mometer, hygrometer, anemometer, weather vane and a rain 
gauge, with the necessary household effects for living. 
Three times each day : at 7:35 a. m., 4:35 p. m., and 11:35 
p. M., Washington time, the reports are telegraphed to 
Washington, where the bulletins are made up an hour and 
twenty-five minutes after the observations are made. For 
reliable weather prophesy, four facts must be known, viz.: 
The weight, the temperature, the humidity, and the direc- 
tion and velocity of the air. 

The station on the summit of Pike's Peak is the highest 
in the United States. It is 14,157 feet above the sea level, 
surrounded by perpetual snow, and in a region where many 
of the severest storms originate. 

Water freezes here every night in the year, and snow 
storms are not unusual in July and August. 



TERRITORIES. 



317 



The house has walls two feet thick. There are several 
rooms — one for instruments, one for sleeping, two for store 
rooms, and one for a kitchen. 

The roof is anchored by great cables, to brace it against 
the wind, which sometimes blows loo miles per hour. Six 
months' provisions and food are taken up every fall. 

The view is magnificent — 150 miles distant Spanish Peaks 
glisten in the sun — Denver and Pueblo can be located by 
their smoke. 

Pike's Peak is the highest mountain known where civil- 
ized people live all the year round. 

It was named after its discoverer, Zebulon W. Pike, who 
was killed by an explosion at Toronto, during the War ot 
1812. 

With his head resting on the flag he ended a life of use- 
fulness, of heroism and honor. This peak may be said to 
be his monument. 



o 
a 






>1 *55 
a> o 

I'- 



NEW MEXICO. 

Location. 
Comparative size. 

r Rio Grande. 
Rivers. I Pecos. 

(_ Canadian. 

i Santa Fe. 
Cities. I Las Vegas. 

( Albuquerque. 
^ List of Products. 



ITKMS OF INTEREST. 
LAS VEGAS, 

An important town of New Mexico, is located about 
miles southeast of Santa Fe, on the Gallinas River. 



50 



318 NORTH AMERICA. 



The Las Vegas Hot Springs, about 6 miles northwest of 
the city, are a popular resort. 

Good building stone of various colors, and heavy forests 
of excellent timber, are near at hand. 

SANTA FE, 

The capital of New Mexico, and one of the oldest towns in 
the United States, is built on both sides of the Santa Fe 
Creek, about 15 miles from Rio Grande. 

When first visited by the Spaniards, about 1540, it was 
the site of a populous Indian pueblo (town). The rich gold 
mines in the vicinity were worked by the Spaniards until 
1680, when the Indians drove them away and filled up the 
mines with rubbish. The Spaniards w^ere, 25 years after- 
wards, allowed to return, only upon the condition that they 
should not work at mining. 

Nearly all of the houses are built of adobe, or sun dried 
brick, and are but one story high. 

Over 70 per cent, of the population consists of Mexicans, 
and Spanish is the prevailing language. Santa Fe has a 
very healthful and delightful climate. 

IRRIGATION. 

The first attempts at irrigation in this country were made 
in New Mexico and Arizona by the aboriginal inhabitants. 

The work of reclaiming from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 acres, 
is now in progress in the Rio Grande and Pecos River val- 
leys. It is estimated that 60,000,000 acres of agricultural 
land, including much of what is known as the "Staked 
Plains," can be reclaimed b}^ storing water in reservoirs 
from these rivers. 



TERRITORIES. 319 



This is an excellent subject for investigation, but our 
space forbids. The region west of the ioo° meridian may- 
be made to bloom, and the near future may see such irriga- 
tion that will rival that of the ancient Babylonians and 
Arabians. 

ZUNl. 

The Zuni village of the Pueblo Indians is built in a shel- 
tered nook of a desert country. The houses are all con- 
nected and built up in terraces, and entered by means of 
ladders. In order to find out about these strange people, 
Mr. Frank Gushing went to live with them. He was adopted 
as a son, and was finally made one of the war chiefs. 

Through him many of these facts have been made public. 
He found these people very pleasant and peaceful. Agri- 
culture is their main pursuit. Their great building now has 
about 1, 600 inhabitants, but at one time must have contained 
upwards of 5,000. 

In the center of the large council room is a square stone 
box, where the sacred fire is kept continually burning. Here 
the Priests of the ' ' Order of the Bow ' ' meet. 

Their history and tradition are handed down, orally, 
through four chosen persons. 

Mr. Gushing, who was sent out by the Smithsonian Insti- 
tute, relates many of the curious customs and religious 
traditions of this remarkable and wonderful people. A 
book, •* The Land of the Pueblos," by Mrs. Susan K. Wal- 
lace, gives considerable information ou this subject. 

It is said that 6,000 square miles of territory are covered 
with these adobe dwellings. 



320 



NORTH AMERICA. 



ARIZONA TERRITORY. 

'lyocation. 

r Colorado. 



>> 
H 



o 



Rivers. < Gila. 

( Little Colorado. 
Colorado Plateau. 

Phoenix. 

Tucson. 

Prescott. 

Tombstone. 



Cities. 



Products. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
PHCENIX, 

The capital of Arizona, is located in the southern part, on 
Salt River. By means of irrigation, this valley that once 
was an arid waste, has been made to ** blossom as the rose." 

The soil and climate are especially well suited for the pro- 
duction of semi-tropical fruits. Oranges, lemons, bananas, 
olives and grapes, both for wine and for raisins, are profit- 
ably cultivated. 

Commerce is the principal business of the city 

A PETRIFIED FOREST. 

The visitor to the petrified forest near Corrizo, on the I^it- 
tle Colorado, will begin to see the signs of petrification hours 
before he reaches the wonder ; here and there, almost every 
step in the road, small pieces of detatched limbs and larger 
stumps may be seen, almost hidden in the white sand. The 
road, at a distance of ten miles from Corrizo, enters an im- 
mense basin, the slope being a semi-circle, and this enclosed 
by high banks of shale, and white, fine clay. 



TERRITORIES. 321 



The petrified stumps, limbs, and, in fact, whole trees, lie 
about on all sides. The action of the waters for hundreds 
of years has gradually washed away the high hills round 
about, and the trees that once covered the high table lands 
now lie in the valley beneath. Immense trunks, some of 
which will measure five feet in diameter, are broken and 
scattered over a surface of 300 acres. I^imbs and twigs 
cover the sand in every direction, and the visitor is puzzled 
as to where he shall begin to gather the beautiful specimens 
that lie within easy reach. There are numerous blocks or 
trunks of this petrified wood that have the appearance, for 
all the world, of having just been cut down by the wood- 
man's ax, and the chips are thrown around on the ground so 
that one can instinctively pick them up, as he would in the 
log camps of Michigan and Pennsylvania. 

Many of the small particles, and even the whole heart of 
some trees have now become thoroughly crystalized, and 
the beautiful colored cakes sparkle in the sunshine like so 
many diamonds. Every color of the rainbow is duplicated 
in these crystals, and those of an amethyst color would pass 
the eye of a novice for a real stone. The grain of the wood 
is plainly shown in nearly every specimen — making the 
pieces more beautiful than ever. 

YUMA'S 

Great canal is the most gigantic enterprise as yet taken in 
hand in Arizona. To tunnel through a hill or mountain 
side, so as to take water of the Colorado, without damaging 
the stream, which is the present plan, and that recom- 
mended by the English irrigation engineers, then to bring 
the water down on both sides of the river, with an aqueduct 
across the Gila, so as to irrigate the 2,000,000 acres of rich 



322 NORTH AMERICA. 



land lying adjacent to Yuma, in Arizona, California, Sonora, 
and Lower California ; in fact, to build this canal 90 miles 
in length, 100 feet is width at the bottom, and 12 feet deep, 
is not the work of an hour, nor the task of a child, and yet 
this is but the outline of this great work, all of which is 
going to be done, and that, too, in the near future. 

THE GRAND CANONS. 

These canons are the most wonderful example of erosion 
of rivers known. 

The description of them may be found in so many books, 
hence it is omitted for want of space. 

J. W. Powell, of the Geological Survey, gives a grand 
description of the Colorado canons. 

A CURIOUS LAKE. 

Southwest of Yuma, Arizona, there exists a curious and 
wonderful lake. The water is, to all appearances, jet black, 
yet it does not color the skin of the bathers. 

A white cloth dipped in the lake is colored black, but 
upon closer examination, it is found to be a black substance 
which adheres to the cloth. A ten or fifteen minutes' bath 
is so exhilarating as to make one feel as if under the influ- 
ence of brandy. This place is a great health resort of the 
Indians for fever, rheumatism and other diseases. The 
Indians place their invalids in the hot volcanic mud, up to 
their necks, for half an hour, then they are washed in the 
lake, after which thej^ are rolled in blankets and placed in 
the hot sands to sweat. 

They are next removed to a suitable place and left to 
sleep. The remarkable cures are as unfailing to the white 
people as to the Indians. 



TERRITORIES. 323 



INDIAN TERRITORY, 



ITKMS OF INTKRKST. 

TRIBKS. ^ CAPITAL. 

Cherokees, Tahlequah. 

Chickasaws, Tishemingo. 

Choctaws, Armstrong. 

Creeks, Ocmulgee. 

Seminoles, Wewoka. 

These five tribes are known as civilized Indians. They 
have schools, churches, newspapers, and laws of their own. 

Some or them are very industrious, and even wealthy. 

Some of these Indians once owned slaves, and even en- 
gaged in the Southern Confederac3^ 

The war left them stripped of nearly everything, and hav- 
ing borne arms against the Union, their treaties were for- 
feited. New treaties were made with them after the war, 
permitting them to still own the same tracts as before, but 
they were to free their slaves (6,000), and to permit other 
Indians to settle on portions of their land. 

A narrow strip of timber, known as * ' Cross Timbers, ' ' 
stretches across the Territory. 

Their chief occupation is agriculture, and many of them 
do as well as the white people. 

The remnants of over 30 small tribes are also located in 
this Indian country. 

The total population is not far from 75,000 to 80,000 
Indians. 



324 



NORTH AMERICA. 



OKLAHOMA TERRITORY. 



' Boundary. 
Comparative size. 

Arkansas. 





TS 




a 




rt 




»-r 




1 


rt 


a 


B 
o 


4j 


M 


w 


O 


:: 



Rivers. 



Cities. 



Canadian. 
Cimmoran. 
^Red. 
Wichita Mountains. 

I Guthrie. 
( Oklahoma City. 
Products. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 



NO MAN'S LAND. 



This strip of land, 33)2 miles wide by 167 miles long, was 
once a portion of Texas, known as the Texas Panhandle. 

When Texas became a State, because it was to be a slave 
vState, it became necessary to relinquish that part north of 
36° 30' to conform to the agreenient between the free, and 
slave States, known as the Missouri Compromise. For years 
this strip was without the control of law, and until recently 
it formed no part of Uncle Sam's estate. It is very fertile 
and well watered. It has a delightful climate, and valuable 
coal deposits. There are thousands of settlers here without 
any other claim to the land than squatters' rights. 

These people have formed a kind of government of their 
own, and peace and order have prevailed. 

They petitioned Congress to give them a territorial gov- 
ernment, and now they are included in the Oklahoma Terri- 
tory. It is called The Panhandle of Oklahoma Territory. 



TERRlTORIEvS. 825 



In 1830 the President of the United States was author- 
ized to set apart a certain tract of land for the use of In- 
dians who had formerly lived east of the Mississippi River. 
Tlie greater part of the land was given to Cherokees, Choc- 
tiws, Chickasaws, Creek and Seminole tribes. The Gov- 
ernment solemnly agreed that this territory should be theirs 
;r,>rever, and free from the laws of any State or Territory. 

The Creeks traded part of their land to the Seminoles, 
who in turn sold it to the United States Government for 15 
cents per acre, in order that other Indians might be located 
in this territory. A portion of this tract, owned by the 
United States, was not occupied by the Indians, and thus 
the foundation of Oklahoma laid. In i860 7,000,000 acres, 
known as the Cherokee Country, was purchased of the In- 
dians, and added to Oklahoma. 



326 



NORTH AMERICA. 

S 



ALASKA TERRITORY, 



Location. 

Latitude and Longitude. 

Size. 

^ ( Arctic. 

Oceans. | p^^.^^ 

Bering's Sea. 
Bristol Bay. 
Bering's Strait. 

( Yukon. 

I Porcupine. 
Alaskan Mountains. 

I St. Elias. 

I Fairweather. 

I Cape Prince of Wales. 

I Point Barrow. 
Alaska Peninsula. 

fSt. Lawrence. 
St. Paul. 
Baranoff. 



Rivers. 



^ Peaks. 
Capes. 



Islands. 



< 



I Pribyloff. 
City of Sitka. 

I Fur. 
J Fish. 
1 Timber. 

[ Minerals. 



Products. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 



The area of Alaska is 580,000 square miles, or as large as 
that part of the United States lying east of the Mississippi 
River, north of Georgia and the Carolinas. The coast line 
of Alaska is long enough to reach around the world. 



TERRITORIEvS. 327 



From an eastern to a western limit of Alaska, it is as far 
as New York is from San Francisco. 

Alaska is the great island region of the United States. 
Alexander Archipelago alone contains 5,000 separate islands. 
The area of the islands of Alaska would make a State as 
large as Maine. 

Alaska contains the great volcanic system and the great 
glacier region of the United States. On one occasion, Sec- 
retary Seward was asked what he considered his most im- 
portant official act. His reply was: "The purchase of 
Alaska." He further stated that the people ( f the United 
States didn't appreciate the magnitude of the purchase, and 
perhaps wouldn't for fifty years. 

Alaska is the great reserve lumber region of the United 
States. There are thousands of square miles of yellow 
cedar, hemlock, spruce, and balsam fir. 

The mineral wealth is known to be immense, and yet it is 
comparatively undeveloped. It is said that Alaska could 
supply the entire country with salmon, cod and herring, 
and other kinds of fish. 

The fur bearing land animals are : bear, otter, beaver, 
mink, lynx, marten and others. The most valuable whale 
fisheries are off the coast of Alaska. 

The population is about 30,000. 

JAPAN CURRENT. 

The remarkable fact that southeastern Alaska has had a 
winter temperature similar to that of Tennessee, and a sum- 
mer temperature like that of Wisconsin, is due to the gen- 
ial influence of the warm Japan Current, This current, 
similar in many respects to the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic 
Ocean, is smaller, slower and cooler than the Gulf Stream. 
The average temperature of its surface waters, in summer, 



328 NORTH AMERICA. 



is about 70° Fahr., and in winter, about 63°. The current 
originates in the vicinity of the Indian Archipelago, and 
flows in a northeasterly direction past Japan. Upon reach- 
ing the Aleutian Archipelago it is deflected eastward, and 
flows south along the west shore of North America. No 
part of it flows through Bering's Strait. Thus it is that 
the western coast of North America has a milder climate 
than countries of the same latitude on the eastern coast. 

SITKA. 

Sitka, the chief town of Alaska, is situated on the Baranoff 
Island, one of the Alexander Archipelago. 

There are about 1,000 residents. This place has a greater 
rainfall than any other locality in the United States. In 
four different years, within the last 45 years, the thermome- 
ter registered lower than zero, and in seven different years, 
higher than 80°, Fahr. Steamers ply between Portland and 
Sitka. Coal is found near here. The entire commerce con- 
sists of furs and fish. 

The Greek Church is the religion of the inhabitants. 

The Government I^and Office and all territorial offices 
are located at Sitka. 

YUKON RIVER. 

The Yukon is the largest river of America flowing into 
the Pacific Ocean. 

It has five mouths and is navigable for nearly 1,500 miles 
There are no obstructions in this river, but some of its tribu- 
taries have canons with perpendicular walls 1,000 feet high. 

The pass of the Yukon River through the mountains pre- 
sents a grand view. The river's current is deep and very 
swift. 



TERRITORIES. 329 



CAVE DWELLERS. 



South of Cape Prince of Wales, there is an island where 
the " Cave Dwellers " of the present live. The rocky sides 
of the island rise 700 feet above the ocean, and on one side, 
where the slope is about 45 degrees, the Innuits have exca- 
vated homes in the rocks. 

There are forty of these cliff dwellings. 

These people are noted for the making of water-proof 
boots from the skins of the seals. 

ALASKAN MOUNTAINS. 

This range of mountains extends nearly east and wesl 
through the Alaskan peninsula. This same range extends 
into the ocean, and their tops form the Aleutian Islands. 

Over sixty volcanoes are found in these mountains ; many 
of them are active. In one of the extinct craters is found 
a vast boiling mineral spring, 18 miles in circumference. 

The natives make use of this in cooking their food. 

GLACIERS. 

Glaciers are numerous in Alaska. 

Mount Fairweather has a glacier that extends fifty miles 
to the sea, where it ends in a perpendicular ice wall, 300 
feet high and eight miles wide. There is another glacier in 
a deep gulch, which is 40 miles long, 5 miles wide and 1,000 
feet deep. 

When these glaciers are broken off by the buoyant power 
of the water, they form immense icebergs. 

FUR SEAL INDUSTRY. 

This important industry is confined chiefly to the Priby- 
lov Islands, St. Paul and St. George, and was granted to 



330 NORTH AMERICA. 



the Alaska Commercial Co., for the consideration of an 
annual rental of $55,000 for the islands, and a royalty of 
$262,500 on the 100,000 seal skins, which, by law, are 
allowed to be taken each year. The hunting and killing 
take place principally in the months of June and July. 
Natives are employed to do the killing, which they do by 
means of clubs. The use of fire-arms is not permitted, for 
fear of frightening away the seals. Great care is taken that 
the supply shall not fail. None of the female nor young seals 
are disturbed; only what are termed the "bachelor" seals 
are killed. Those in the best position to know the facts, 
confidently affirm that so long as the present restrictions are 
observed, there is no danger of the fur-bearing seals being 
exterminated. 

A REINDEER FARM. 

The United States Government has appointed a retired 
army officer to go to St. Lawrence Island, in the Bering Sea, 
to take charge of a station about to be established there. 
The Interior Department desires to have a station on this 
island, and begin the breeding of reindeer for the Innuitts 
and Esquimaux to use, instead of dogs. It is the purpose 
of the Government to import reindeer from Siberia to the 
island, and a number of Siberians with them, to teach the 
natives how to raise and care for the animals. A reindeer 
park will be established, and as soon as the animals are ob- 
tained in sufficient numbers, some of them will be taken to 
Alaska and distributed among the people in that country, 
and thus the dogs, now used for sledging in the United States' 
Arctic possessions, will be displaced by deer, which will 
form nutritious food in case of emergency, whereas dogs do 
not furnish the most palatable meat. St. Lawrence Island 
is about thirty-six miles from the coast of Asia, and about 



TERRITORIES. 331 

fifty from Alaska, in Bering Sea. An Episcopal Mission 
School will be established there, and sustained under the 
protection of the Government. 

SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

442. Horse Tail. 

443. Pillars of Hercules. 

444. Candle Fish. 

445. Fifty-four Forty, or Fight. 

446. The Great Divide. 

447. Snow Slides. 

448. Snow Sheda 

449. The Garden Spot of Washington. 

450. Sage Plains. 

451. Gentiles. 

452. Avenging Angels. 

453. Mountain Meadow Massacre. 

454. City of the Saints. 

455. The Gila Monster. 

456. Casa Grande. 

457. Muddy Salt Mine. 

458. The Gates of the Rocky Mountains. 

459. Mountain Passes. 

460. Mirage. 

461. lyightning Tubes. 

462. The Devil's Slide. 

463. Cherokee Outlet. 

464. Oklahoma Boomers. 

465. Ancient Pueblos. 

466. The Cliff Dwellers. 

467. Path- Finder of the Rockies. 

468. The Sound City. 



332 NORTH AMERICA. 



469. Russian America. 

470. Refrigerator of the United States. 

471. Seal Rookeries. 

472. Northwest Passage. 

473. Ivand of Desolation. 

474. Arctic Explorers. 

475. Pan American Congress. 



ADDITIONAL QUERIES. 

481. What city formerly supposed to be in Washington is 
now in Idaho ? 

482. To whom does Vancouver*Island belong ? 

483. In what State do women have the right of suffrage 
guaranteed in the Constitution of the State ? 

484. Where is there a cave of pure alabaster found ? 

485. Which Territory has the hottest climate ? 

486. What city is slowly moving down a mountain side ? 

487. What city of once several thousand people is now 
almost deserted? 

488. Which of the Western States has been decreasing in 
population ? 

489. Are there fogs along the Pacific coast ? 

490. Where is the largest cattle market in the West ? 

49 1 . What are the mottoes of the last six new States ? 

492. What is the Desert Land I^aw? 

493. Why has Utah's admission as a State been denied? 

494. How is it proposed to reclaim the Colorado desert ? 

495. Where are the largest Cattle ranches in the United 
States ? 

496. What city did the Indians call "The Dancing 
Ground of the Sun?" 

497. What tribes of Indians are the most savage? 



TERRITORIES. 333 



498. Of what use is the cactus ? 

499. What State has vast deposits of salt petre ? 

500. What is the Indian population of the United States? 

501. Who are a few of the great writers of Western scenes 
and stories ? 

502. Are the slopes of the Rocky Mountains covered with 
timber ? 

503. What was called " Seward's Folly ? " 

504. What is the most western point of the United 
States ? Most northern ? 

505. To what race of people do the natives of Alaska 
belong ? 

506. Which hemisphere includes Iceland ? 

507. How is it expected to connect Europe and America 
by railroad ? 

508. How wide is Bering's Strait ? 

509. Which direction does the current flow ? 

510. What is the metropolis of Alaska ? 

511. What is the most northern town in the world ? 

512. Are the shores of Greenland slowly rising or sink- 
ing? 

513. What evidences are there that Greenland once had a 
tropical climate? 

514. What causes the fogs off the coast of Newfound- 
land ? 



334 



NORTH AMERICA. 



DOMINION OF CANADA AND 
NEWFOUNDLAND. 





' Location. 

Area. Comparative size. 
Population. 

r Atlantic. 
Oceans. < Pacific. 

(Arctic. 




Bays. 


' Hudson. 

Baffin's. 

St. Lawrence. 

Fundy. 

James. 
^ Georgian. 


Straits. 


' Belle Isle. 

Hudson. 

Davis. 
^Juan de Fuca. 


5 

•o 

1 

.2 


Lakes. 


' Great Bear. 

Great Slave. 

Winnipeg. 

Lake of the Woods. 
^ 4 Great Lakes. 


S 

a 


Rivers. 


' Mackenzie. 

Nelson. 

Red River of the North 

St. Lawrence. 
^ Ottawa. 




General Div 


isions. 




Peninsula. - 


1 Labrador. 
1 Nova Scotia. 



CANADA AND NEWFOUNDLAND. 



335 



Islands. 



Queen Charlotte. 
Vancouver. 
Newfoundland. 
Cape Britain. 
Prince Edward. 
^ Arctic Archipelago. 



C Rocky. 
Mountains. < Cascade. 



Peaks. 



Cities. 



( Height of Land. 

I Brown. 
I Hooker. 

Ottawa. 

Toronto. 

Montreal. 

Quebec. 

Halifax. 

St. John. 

Winnipeg. 

Victoria. 



Products. 



Animal. 



j Wild. 

[ Domestic. 
Vegetable. 
Minerals. 
Manufactured. 



Government. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

Canada is larger than the United States, having an ex- 
treme length of 3,500 miles, an extreme width of 1,400 
miles, and an area of 3,610,000 square miles. 

Man}^ thousands of acres are arable, while the rest is valu- 
able for magnificent forests, extensive deposits of the noted 
minerals, or for the production of fish and fur-bearing ani- 
mals. It has a vast system of lakes and rivers, and the 
settled portions have good railroad facilities. 



336 NORTH AMERICA. 



OTTAWA. 

Ottawa, or By town, as it was first called, in honor of its 
founder, Colonel By, is the capital of the Dominion of 
Canada. 

It is located on the right bank pf the Ottawa River, and 
is divided into upper and lower towns by the Rideau canal. 
This canal connects Ottawa with Kingston. 

The Government buildings are large and beautiful struct- 
ures, and the principal objects of interest to the tourist. 

The lumber trade is the most important industry. The 
city also has many manufactures of various kinds, which 
utilize the excellent water power furnished by the Chau- 
diere falls, 40 feet in height. 

TORONTO. 

Toronto, originally called York, is the capital of Ontario, 
and is situated on the north shore of Lake Ontario. 

It is famous for its elegant public buildings and excellent 
educational institutions. Among the latter may be men- 
tioned : The University of Toronto, Trinity University, 
McMaster's Hall, Knox's College, Trinity Medical School, 
Woman's Medical School, School of Practical Science, Nor- 
mal School, etc., etc. Toronto has excellent railroad facili- 
ties and extensive manufactories. 

QUEBEC. 

Quebec, the capital of the Province of Quebec, is pictur- 
esquel}^ located on the left bank of the St. Lawrence River, 
about 400 miles from its mouth. From its almost impreg- 
nable fortress, it is sometimes called "The Gibraltar of 
America. ' ' 



CANADA AND NEWFOUNDLAND. 337 

Ship building, the manufacture of lumber, and of boots 
and shoes, are the principal occupations. 

It would be well, at this time, to refer to the capture of 
Quebec, by the English, in 1759. 

MONTRhAL, 

Montreal (Mount Royal), the metropolis of Canada, is 
built on the south side of the island of Montreal at the con- 
fluence of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers. It is at the 
head of ocean navigation on the St. lyawrence. Since it has 
been reached by arailway, it has been growing rapidly. It 
is noted for being the seat of a large number of public benev- 
olent institutions, such as asylums, orphans' homes, etc. 
Manufacturing and commerce are the leading industries. 

KINGSTON 

is a thriving city on Lake Ontario. It is the seat of a Mili- 
tary College and is sometimes called the West Point of 
Canada. The Thousand Islands begin near Kingston and 
afford a popular summer resort. 

The manufacture of ships, engines, locomotives and cars 
is carried on extensively at this place. 

VICTORIA, 

the capital of the Province of British Columbia, is pleasantly 
located on the southern extremity of Vancouver's Island. It 
has a good harbor. It has a delightful climate. The prin- 
cipal articles of export are gold, coal, tirnber, dried fish and 

furs. 

WINNIPEG, 

the capital of Manitoba and commercial metropolis of west- 
ern Canada, is situated on the left bank of the Red River of 
the North and has had a remarkably rapid growth. 



338 NORTH AMERICA. 

Up to the year of 1870, it was simply a trading post of the 
Hudson Bay Fur Company. 

The country around Winnipeg received considerable ad- 
vertisement at that time by the troops who were sent there 
to quell an insurrection among the half-breeds. 

An extensive, fertile tract of country surrounds Winnipeg, 
valuable forest are near at hand, navigable rivers extend 
north, west and south, and its railways connect it with all 
important points. 

HALIFAX. 

Halifax, the capital and metropolis of Nova Scotia, is 
located about midway of the province on the southern coast. 

Its harbor is one of the largest and best in the world. It 
is the principal American naval station of Great Britain and 
is protected by immense fortifications. It is the seat of the 
British military headquarters in America. Halifax has sev- 
eral good colleges and many benevolent institutions, such 
as asylums for the insane, deaf and dumb and blind, Or- 
phans' Home, Home for the Aged, Women's Home, In- 
fants' Home, Victoria Hospital, etc. 

Its healtful location, beautiful scenery and historic asso- 
ciations make it a desirable place to visit. 

ST. JOHN, 

an important seaport of New Brunswick, is situated on the 
Bay of Fundy, at ihe mouth of the St. John's River. It has 
a good harbor and an extensive trade both with the United 
States and England. No other Canadian port owns so many 
ships as St. John. 

The principal articles of manufacture and export are lum- 
ber and lime. 



CANADA AND NEWFOUNDLAND. 339 

FREDERICKTON, 

the capital of New Brunswick, is located at the head of navi- 
gation for large vessels on the St. John's River, about 85 
miles from the Bay of Fundy. 

• The principal industries are the manufacture of lumber, 
lath, shingles and railroad ties. 

NEWFOUNDLAND. 

This large island, the nearest to Europe of the American 
islands, has an area of over 40,000 square miles. The popu- 
lation is not large and the interior of the island is unsettled. 
The principal settled portions are near the south and east 
coasts. ' 

Newfoundland has no hills over 3,000 feet in height. It 
has a few large lakes and very many small ones. 

The rivers are all short and unnavigable for steamers. The 
bays and harbors are numerous. Newfoundland has, owing 
to its insular position, a milder climate than there is on the 
adjacent^continent. The forests border the lakes and streams 
and the trees are not very large. 

The principal business of the inhabitants is fishing. The 
Grand Banks, east of Newfoundland, is an oceanic plateau 
about 600 miles long and 200 miles wide. The water on 
this plateau ranges from 60 to 1,000 feet in depth and 
swarms with fish, especially cod, herring and salmon. 

The cod fishing lasts from June until November. The 
crops and vegetables produced are those common to the 
countries of the temperate zone. 

The province of Newfoundland includes the island of New- 
foundland and the region north of it, formerly called 
I^abrador. 



340 



NORTH AMERICA. 



ST. JOHN'S, 

the capital and principal city of Newfoundland, is situated 
on a peninsula in the most eastern part of Newfoundland. 
It has an excellent harbor. The entrance to the harbor, 
called "The Narrows," is so narrow that but one ship can 
enter at a time. 

The principal trade is in furnishing supplies to the fisher- 
men and in exporting fish, oil and seal. 



DANISH AMERICA. 



' I^atitude — Zones. 
Area — Population. 

Oceans I Atlantic, 
uceans. | Arctic. 

Baffin's Bay. 
Davis Strait. 

( Greenland. 
Islands. < Iceland. 

( Disco. 
Mount Hecla. 
Cape Farewell. 

C Lechenfels 
Cities. -< Upernavik. 

(Reikjavik. 
List of animals. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

Greenland and Iceland are called Danish America. 
Iceland was treated of in Book I, on pages 42 to 47 on 
Europe. 



DANISH AMERICA. 341 



The climate of Greenland is severe, snow falls every 
month of the year. In the summer the sun never sets and 
during winter the sun is not seen for several months. 

The Aurora Boreal is is seen in greater splendor here than 
anywhere else in the world. Only the scantiest vegetation 
grows, such as mosses and lichens, which furnish food for 
reindeer, bears, etc. 

The Esquimaux (Mongolians) live in Greenland. They 
live in houses made of ice and snow and subsist chiefly on 
whale and seal blubber. 

LIFE IN GREENLAND. 

The following is condensed from the talks of Miss Olof 
Krarer, a visitor from the polar regions, who has lectured 
in the United States. 

She begins by telling that she was born in Greenland, 
that her height is just 40 inches, and in her country she 
would be a tall woman. Her father is just one inch taller 
and her brothers, sisters and mother are all shorther then 
she. She weighs 120 pounds. 

They live in snow-houses, with rounded tops. They are 
six and a half feet in height, and as large as two good sized 
chambers. Thick, soft furs carpet the floors, and the one 
bed, in which all the family sleep, is also of fur. And the 
door, which leads out through a long, dark snow-passage to 
the outside, is hung with several fur curtains. As an in- 
stance of how cold it is inside the houses, Miss Krarer told 
us that when they are building them they fasten the fur 
carpets down by placing them under the snow wall, and as 
it never thaws in the hut, they never loosen their hold. The 
walls and roof of the hut are also covered with furs. They 
warm the furs in the fire and this melts the snow enough 
for them to get a firm hold on the walls and ceiling. There 



342 NORTH AMERICA. 



is no furniture whatever in the house, no utensiles, no stove, 
no dishes. They never cook anything, but eat raw, frozen, 
saltless meat and blubber, oil and blood. The only food they 
have is from the whale, the polar bear, the seal and the rein- 
deer. The last-named animal is quite scarce, owing to the 
fact that there is ver}^ little of the moss upon which he feeds 
in Greenland. For a very young child they sometimes 
warm a bone in the blubber fire, and this is the nearest ap- 
proach to cooking they make. 

LIFE IN GREENLAND. 

The children have no playthings and are not allowed to 
play or make any noise. Their parents command them to 
sit down and point out a place at the floor, and there they 
sit shivering until permission is given them to rise. From 
the constant habit of folding the arms to keep themselves 
warm, their arms are bowed at the elbows. The children are 
taught to be kind to one another and not to quarrel. If they 
are naughty their parents do not whip them, but instead put 
a piece of whalebone into the fire, and heat it until the fat 
begins to sizzle. Then they brand them witli it, never, how- 
ever, on the face. It is a cruel punishment, and, of course, 
very much dreaded. Miss Krarer still carries a mark made 
in this way. 

When a boy is fifteen his father gives him a sleigh and a 
reindeer, but if he uses them to go sleigh-riding, coasting 
down hill and the like, instead of hunting, they are taken 
away from him. All fun seems to be left out of their lives. 

A girl never goes out of the hut except with her parents 
until she is married. There is no " keeping company " of 
little boys and girls and young men and maidens, no parties 
from which they do not return until one and three A. m. 



DANISH AMERICA. 343 



When a man wants a wife, he steals her from her home. 
If he is caught her parents kill him. But if he suceeeds in 
reaching his hut in safety with his bride he is considered a 
smart and promising young man. That is all the romance 
there is to marriage. There is no other ceremony, but he 
must live with her ever afterward. A man who deserts his wife 
is killed; and these are the only offenses for which the death 
penalty is inflicted. The people do not lie or steal or quarrel 
and are very quiet. They do not talk much, having very 
little to talk about, and almost no ideas. 

They have no money; the primitive custom of borrowing 
and lending prevails, and is sufficient for all their needs. 
The people are very kind and ready to lend everything they 
have. There are no rulers, ministers, lawyers or classes of 
any kind in Greenland. The only distinction is rich and 
poor. The rich have flint to start their fires with and the 
poor have not, and that is all the difference between them. 

They have no way of keeping time. Up in that frozen 
land the sun shines four months, then there is a month of 
twilight, then six months of darkness, again a month of twi- 
light and so on. Oh, but it is a dreary land, nothing but 
snow and ice on every side! Miss Krarer said she did not 
know how it came to be called Greenland; she never saw 
anything green there. The nearest approach to green being 
the brown moss on which the reindeer feeds. Day or night 
it is equally dark in the hut, and the only light they have 
is from the blubber fire. They have no wood, and it is for 
light, not heat, that they have a fire. They have no heat 
but what the body gives. Such agony as they endure from 
the bitter cold we can form no idea of whatever. 

They have absolutely no water, never wash themselves and 
never drink anything. If they are thirsty, which is seldom, 
since they have neither salt, sweets nor spices fo any kind. 



344 NORTH AMERICA. 



and since cold does not occasion tliirst to anj^ extent, they 
take a bit of snow in their mouths and let it melt. The}^ 
never cut or comb their hair — in fact the only attention paid 
to the body is an occasional oiling. They cut their meat 
with a walrus tusk, and this is the only knife they possess. 
With it they mark out on the skins the patterns of their 
clothes and then tear them. 

The people wear suits of sealskin when they are in the 
house, and when they go out they put on, in addition, suits 
of white polar bear skin with the fur turned out. Fur shoes, 
mittens, hood, and, in very cold weather, a fur covering for 
the face, with two holes for the eyes, complete their pictur- 
esque costume. In cold weather, before venturing out, the 
face is treated to a thick coat of grease, from half an inch to 
an inch in thickness, and over this the fur veil is tied. Babies 
wear the skin of very young seals, and are carried on their 
mother's back, as the Indian squaws carry their papooses, 
until they are two and a half years old. They must be very 
tin}^ since their parents are so small. 

The people grow very slowly, not attaining their full size 
until twent3'-five. Few live to be over sixty, and are then 
apparently as old as people of ninety in this country. The 
prevailing disease is consumption, owing to the intense cold 
and the foul smoky air of the huts, which are never venti- 
lated. Her mother died of this disease shortly after reach- 
ing Iceland. 

"In my country, "she said, "they pay no attention to the 
sick. They say spirits have them, and they hate them. All 
they will do is to throw them a piece of blubber as they 
would to a dog. If the sick people get well they are smart, 
if they die they are good, and they are just thrown into a 
hole in the snow. Their furs and spears are thrown in with 
them, and no matter how much they are needed the people 



DANISH AMERICA. 345 

never go to get them back; for in my country, when men 
and women are dead we don't want any more to do with 
them." 

The Greenlanders are heathens, and believe that if they 
are good they will at death be turned into spirits living in a 
nice warm land, but if bad they will be sent to a land colder 
even than Greenland. 

When fifteen years of age she went to Iceland with her 
parents and her brothers and sisters. They went with a 
party of shipwrecked sailors and traveled over the frozen 
seas on .sledges drawn by dogs a distance of i,ooo miles al- 
most due south. So you see how far north she lived when 
Iceland was nearly I, GOO miles south. In Iceland she was 
taken into the Mission School and taught. Here she found 
a civilization and a state of society hitherto undreamed of 
by her. 

She was a very black, dirty, repulsive object and the kind 
people gave her some soap to wash herself with. But not 
understanding its use she put it into her mouth. She was 
greatly surprised when she saw persons bathing and did not 
know what to make of it. 

Her hair is a light brown and her complexion is neither 
fair nor dark. Her eyes are large and mild, and her face is 
rather heavy, but brightens when she smiles, and her gen- 
eral appearance is quite Teutonic. When she went to Ice- 
land her face was as dark as an Indian's and her hair coal- 
black from smoke and grease. They have no chimneys in 
their houses and the smoke settles on everything. If anj^- 
thing touched her hair it received a black, greasy daub. 
Shortly after her arrival in the country she had a fever and 
her hair was cut off. Then, after repeated and vigorous 
washings with soap and water, the scalp became clean, and 
when her hair grew out it had its present color. 



346 NORTH AMERICA. 



After a residence of five years in Iceland, during which 
she learned to speak the Icelandic language, she went to 
Manitoba, and thence to the United States via Wisconsin. 
In Wisconsin she lived in a room cooled with ice until she 
became acclimated. 



UNITED STATES OF MEXICO. 



347 



UNITED STATES OF MEXICO. 






o o 

s3 






I^atitude and Zone. 
Area and Population. 
Pacific Ocean. 
Caribbean Sea. 

f California. 



Gulfs. 



1 Mexico. 



) Tehuantepec. 
[ Campeche. 



Lake Tescuco. 

Yucatan Channel. 

( Rio Grande 
I Colorado. 

Divisions 28. 



Rivers. 



Peninsulas. 



i Lower California. 



\ Yucatan. 
Isthmus of Tehuantepec. 
( Corientes. 
i San Lucas. 
Mountains Sierra Madre. 
( Popocatapetl. 
I Iztaccihuatl. 

Mexico. 

Vera Cruz. 

Matamoras. 



Capes. 



Peaks. 



Cities. 



Products. 



{ 



Tampico. 



I Acapulco. 
1^ Mazatlan. 
f Animal. 
J Vegetable. 
I Mineral, 
t Manufactured. 



348 NORTH AMERICA. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

476. Cordilleras. 

477. Tierra Calientes. 

478. Tierra Templades. 

479. Tierra Fria. 

480. Venice of the Aztecs. 

48 1 . The Floating Gardens. 

482. Calendar Stone. 

483. The Pyramids. 

484. Inquisition. 

485. National Librar}^ 

486. Tehuantepec Canal. 

487. Volcanoes. 

488. Vermilion Sea. 

489. Sacrificial Stone. 

490. Plateau of Mexico. 

491. Echoing Cave. 

492. "Gulf of Cortes." 

493. City of the True Cross. 

494. Yellow Jack. 

495. Maximilian. 

QUERIES. 

515. Why is navigation along the coast of Mexico dan- 
gerous ? 

5 1 6. How man}' mints in Mexico ? 

517. Who were the Toltecs ? 

518. What deity did the Aztecs worship ? 

519. When did Vera Cruz undergo sieges ? 

520. What are the principal amusements of the Mexicans? 

521. Whom did the Aztecs call the White Gods? 



UNITED STATES OF MEXICO. 349 

522. How did the Aztecs divide time ? 

523. What became of the records of the Aztecs? 

524. At what city were thousands of human beings sacri- 
ficed annually ? 

525. Which city is surrounded by a wall ? 

526. What mineral is obtained from the crater of Popo- 
cacapetl ? How ? 

527. Who wrote the "Conquest of Mexico?" 

528. What names will ever remind us of the Aztecs ? 

529. What are Tortillasf Peons? 

530. Which is the most active volcano ? 

531. Where are noted battlefields in Mexico ? 

532. What are the prevalent diseases in this country ? 

533. Who was the "Washington of Mexico?" 

534. Make a good list of exports. Ditto imports. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
THE CENTURY PLANT. 

The Agave America?ia or Century Plant, called maguey 
in South America, and 7nezcal in Mexico, attains its full 
growth in from ten to seventy years, according to climate 
and localit}'. The stem reaches a height of thirty to forty 
feet, sending out branches which are crowded with flowers. 
These flowers bloom but once, but continue to bloom for 
months ; when the blossoms fall the plant soon dies. 

The agave furnished meat, drink, clothing and writing 
material for the Aztecs. 

The Mexicans va^ik.^ pulque , the national beverage, from 
its sap, which, if distilled, becomes highly intoxicating. 



350 NORTH AMERICA. 



SISAL HEMP. 

Sisal grass, or pita flax, is a plant whose leaf fibers are 
used in making a coarse thread. The flower stems are used 
for thatching, and the thorns furnish a substitute for nails. 

An extract from the leaves will lather with water like 
soap. 

The pith of the stem makes a good hone for a razor. The 
fibers will make an excellent rope. 

The leaves made the paper upon which the Aztecs kept 
their history. 

FIRST PRINTING. 

The first printing press set up in America was established 
in the City of Mexico, in 1536, under the direction of the 
first Mexican Viceroy, Mendoza. (See American Encyclo- 
pedia). 

"The Spiritual Ladder," a school manual, was printed 
over one hundred years before any printing in the United 
States. It is stated that ninety books were printed previous 
to 1600. 

CONQUEST OF MEXICO. 

Cortez found Mexico half conquered by an old tradition. 
It was taught in their temples, and believed by all, that a 
race of white men would come to rule them. 

The Spaniards, clothed in arrow-proof garments, armed 
with fire bolts from Heaven, sealed the truth of this predic- 
tion, and the Mexicans bowed in helpless submission to the 
wonderful strangers. 

POPULATION. 

Of the 10,000,000 people three-fourths are Indians, two- 
thirds of whom cannot read or write, nor ever had an ances- 
tor who could ; who never slept on a bed, or wore a stock- 



UNITED STATES OF MEXICO. 351 

ing, and who are accustomed to live at a less expense per 
day than a farm horse in any New England State. 

COCHINEAL. 

The cochineal insect is one of the staple products of 
Mexico. It lives on the cactus plant. It takes 70,000 of 
these insects, when dried, to make one pound of dye, yet 
the exports amount to millions of dollars. This dye is used 
in coloring silks and artificial flowers ; also in making red 
ink (carmine) and rouge. 

PYRAMIDS. 

The great Pyramid of Cholula covers over forty acres. 

The "House of the Sun," and " House of the Moon" 
each occupies over ten acres. 

There are great numbers of these pyramids, and the 
country can truly be called ''The Egypt of America." 

A CURIOUS TREE. 

Among the famous trees there is one called ' ' El Arbol 
de los Manitos," or The Tree of the Little Hand." 
Very few of these trees exist. Its properties are medici- 
nal, but its most remarkable features are that its flowers 
resemble a hand. The stamens form the wrist and palm, and 
then separate into five red fingers. 

COZUMEL. 

Cozumel, an island off the coast of Yucatan, is noted for 
its mines. The Mexicans made pilgrimages there to wor- 
ship the idols in the temple, the ruins of which may still be 

seen. 

lEXICAN INDIANS. 

The Indian population numbers 6,000,000, one-half of 
which are nomadic tribes. Most of them are indolent, but 



352 NORTH AMERICA. 



some of the tribes are skillful in the manufacture of clay 
and rag figures. 

Their chief food consists of corn, pounded and made into 
a hard, flat cake, which is used for a plate, when anything 
else is eaten. These Indians boil a kind of fly, found in 
the marshes, pound it into a paste and then eat it. They 
eat water lizards and the larv^ae of worms. 

They are very loth to accept the better methods of the 
white people, and tenaciously hold to the customs of their 
ancestors. 

Take short statements like the following, and require 
pupils to formulate questions to correspond to them: 

Three-fourths of Mexico is a table land. 

The Toltics were noted for feather work. 

Mexico uses the Metric Sysiem. 

Lake Tezcuco is salt water. (Is this the highest salt water 
lake in the world ?) 

Mesquite roots, pine and coal blocks brought from Wales 
as ballast, are used as fuel for the railroads. 

Mexico has two submarine telegraphs, one to Havana and 
the other to Galveston. 

Cone shaped stones painted white are the legal land 
marks. 

There is a peak called " Buffalo Mountain," from its fan- 
cied resemblance to that animal. 

Everywhere may be be seen small crosses stuck in the 
ground; these indicate where some one has gone to his eter- 
nal home. 

The Gulf Stream passes through the Yucatan channel at 
a velocity of one mile in four hours. It is computed to be 
I, GOG fathoms deep. (How is depth ascertained?) 



UNITED STATES OF MEXICO. 353 

*' Montezuma's Cypress," overfift}^ feet in circumference, 
is in the park which surrounds Chapultepec (Hill of the 
Grasshopper). 

' ' Montezuma Cave, ' ' where the ill-fated monarch made 
his escape, is still shown to the visitors of this castle. 

The Hot Springs, at Aguas Calientes, furnish an abund- 
ant supply of water for bath houses, and a ditch has been 
walled up with stone, where the poorer classes of people 
obtain hot water for laundry purposes. 

The Mexican Empire abounded in all kinds of paintings; 
paintings of history, maps, portraits of kings and queens ; 
mythology, and the mysteries of their religion. 

Under the name of vandalism and superstitition, these 
were gathered into a heap and set on fire ; thus perished in 
ashes the memory of many interesting and curious events. 

ONE METHOD. 

Place a list of words, like the following, on the board : 



Indigo. 


Cloves. 


Chocolate. 


Cinnamon. 


Sarsaparilla. 


Pepper. 


Vanilla. 


Mace. 


Mahogany. 


Allspice. 


Vegetable ivory. 


Cork. 


Manioc. 


Creosote. 


Jalap. 


Nutmeg. 


Coffee. 


Rubber. 


Tea. 


Tapioco. 



These are all articles of commerce. Do you know from 
what part of the plant or tree they are obtained ? Is it made 
from the Roots ? Fruit? Sap? Leaves? Blossoms? Bark? 
Fiber ? 

Give use of each. 



354 NORTH AMERICA. 



NOTE TO TEACHERS. 

The reader will notice the absence of the descriptions of 
any cities of Mexico, while in the Dominion of Canada the 
items of interest are all towns. 

This is intentional, for space will not permit descriptions 
of all cities and all objects of interest in all countries. 
Many of the descriptions omitted are important and should 
be dwelt upon by the teacher. 

Those which are most easily found and generally known 
are not written. 



CENTRAL AMERICA. 355 



CENTRAL AMERICA, 



Location. 

Latitude and Longitude. 

Pacific Ocean. 

Carribbean Sea. 

^ .r j Honduras. 

^^^^^' I Mosquito. 

Lake Nicaragua. 

San Juan River. 

r Balize. 

; Guatemala. 
^. . . Honduras. 

Divisions, i 3^^ Salvador. 

Nicaragua. 
^ Costa Rica. 
Sierra Madre Mountains. 

Volcanos. { ^f ^^^^ 

Isthmus of Panama. 
Cape — Gracias a Dios. 

f New Guatemala. 

Balize. 
1 San Salvador. 
Tegucigalpa. 
Monagua. 
San Jose. 

i Animal. 
Vegetable. 
Mineral. 



u 

(V 

B 
< ^ 

u 



Cities, 



356 NORTH AMERICA. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 
BALIZE. 

British Honduras or Balize is a colony of Great Britain. 
It is noted for the fine forests of Mahogany and other valu- 
able woods. Cochineal, sugar and fruits are articles of 
commerce. The inhabitants are mostly blacks. The coast 
is low and swampy and the climate is very hot and un- 
healthful for white people. 

Balize is the capital and it is said to be one of the cleanest 
cities of America. The streets are cleaned and kept in repair 
by prison convicts. 

MAHOGANY TREE. 

Mahogany trees are the most valuable of all the trees of 
the tropical forests. 

This tree grows to a height of over 90 feet on the low 
lands and the wood is hard, close-grained and of a dark red 
color. It is used for cabinet purposes mainly. A single 
tree which cut three logs, 15 feet long by 38 inches square, 
sold for $15,000. 

A logging camp in this region is a novel sight. The men 
are limited in their daily tasks and are paid more or less ac- 
cordingly as the limit of work is accomplished. 

The work is done at night, owing to the extreme heat. 
The ox teams with their half-naked drivers, each of which 
carries a flaming torch, the clanking chains and the crack- 
ing of the whips in forests at midnight present a scene pecul- 
iar to this country alone. 

GUATEMALA. 

Guatemala is noted for its coffee, cocoa-nut, banana and 
pine-apple plantations. The luxuriant forests abound in 
cabinet and dye woods. The soil is very fertile. 



CENTRAL AMERICA. 357 



In 1 541 the City of Guatemala (old city) was destroyed 
by a torrent of hot water that burst from the mountain and 
deluged the adjacent plain, destroying the city and in- 
habitants. 

Another city was built by the Spaniards, which exceeded 
in size and wealth any other of the Spanish capitals except 
the city of Mexico. This city existed 232 years, when an 
earthquake left its massive buildings in ruins, which remain 
to this day. New Guatemala, the present capital, contains 
a few industries and small factories. Its paved streets, its 
grand buildings and baths, its military barracks and public 
squares make it one of the finest cities of Latin America. 

President Barrios has done much to improve the condition 
of this republic. 

Copan, an ancient cit}^ of Guatemala, is noted for the won- 
derful ruins. The walls of a temple, 624 feet long, the col- 
ossal statues, the sculptured idols and altars, excited the 
wonder of the Spaniard, who failed to find any history of 
their origin. 

HONDURAS. 

This republic is mountainous and contains great mineral 
wealth of many kinds. It has some good agricultural land 
and dense forests of valuable timber. Sugar cane yields two 
or three crops in one 3'ear. 

Tegucigalpa, the metropolis of Honduras, is situated on a 
lofty table land in the vicinity of gold, silver and copper 
mines. 

SAN SAVADOR. 

The smallest, but most populous of Central American re- 
publics is San Salvador. Coffee, tobacco, rubber and indigo 
are the staple articles of commerce. 



358 NORTH AMERICA. 



Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are of frequent oc- 
currence. 

San Salvador produces large quantities of the world-fam- 
ous Balsam of Peru, which is collected-by the Indians along 
what is known as the Balsam Coast. The chief city is San 
Salvador, which is surrounded by fine sugar and indigo 
plantations. This city has manufactures of various kinds 
and quite an extensive commerce. Education receives more 
attention here than elsewhere in Central America. 

NICARAGUA. 

Nicaragua is the largest of the Central American states. 

This republic includes a strip of territory, known as the 
Mosquito Coast or Reserv^ation. 

Stock raising is an important industry. This country is 
the scene of Walker's filibustering scheme. Monagua, the 
capital, is built on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. Leon, the 
metropolis, is a Pacific port of entry, while Graytown is the 
principal eastern port. 

The Nicaragua ship-canal, which has received a charter 
from the United States and right-of-way through Nicaragua, 
is attracting considerable attention. 

COSTA RICA. 

Costa Rica (rich coast) is the most southern of the Central 
American republics. Columbus landed here on his third 
voyage, and from a mountain top, Balboa, first saw the South 
Sea. The Atlantic slope is low and covered with dense for- 
ests, while the Pacific is comparatively high. The products, 
the people, the religion of all these republics are much alike. 
Pearls are found along the coasts. From Limon, a port of 
entry, great quantities of fruit are shipped to the United 
States. 



WEST INDIES. 



359 



The famous Spanish gold mine of Trinidad is within a 
few miles of Punta Arenas, a port of entry on the Pacific 
coast, which ships considerable indigo. Coffee is the staple 
article of production. San Jose is the capital. 



WEST INDIES. 

Location and zones. 
Area and population. 
Atlantic Ocean. 
Caribbean Sea. 
Gulf of Mexico. 



Straits. 

Greater Antilles. 

Lesser Antilles. 
Bahamas. (600). 

Cities. 
Products. 



r Florida. 

Yucatan. 

Windward. 

Mona. 

Cuba. 

Hayti. 

Jamaica. 

Porto Rico. 
( Leeward Islands. 
I Windward Islands. 

Havana. 

Matanzas. 

San Domingo. 

Kingston. 

San Juan. 

St. Thomas. 
^ Nassau. 
C Animal. 
} Vegetable. 
(^ Mineral. 



360 NORTH AMERICA. 



SUGGESTIVE KEY WORDS. 

496. Queen of the Antilles. 

497. Land of Springs. 

498. Land of High Hills. 

499. Caribs. 

500. Arrowroot. 

501. Lightning Spring Beetle. 

502. The Pearl of the Antilles. 

503. West India Goods. 

504. Bahama Banks. 

QUERIES. 

535. What is the oldest town in the New World? 

536. Which island is noted for its marble ? 

537. What is rum? How made. 

538. Name the most densely settled island in the world. 

539. Where are the best cigars manufactured ? ^ 

540. What island noted for the production of vegetables ? 

541. What nations own islands in the West Indies? 

542. What island is noted for salt ? 

543. Does the United States own any of the West Indies ? 
If so, which Islands ? 

544. How is Cuba governed ? 

545. What seasons in the West Indies ? 

'ITEMS OF INTEREST. 

THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 

The Bahama Archipelago consists of a chain of islands 
east of Florida, belonging to England. There are over 600 
of them, but only about a dozen of them are inhabited. 
Much fruit is raised here. The climate is beneficial to con- 
sumptives. 



WEST INDIES. 361 



The first land discovered by Columbus is in this group, 
but there is a difference of opinion as to which island. The 
Spaniards carried off the natives of these islands to work in 
the mines and pearl fisheries. In the more southern islands 
are natural salt ponds of great value. Spanish Wells, on an 
island of the same name, is one of the most curious spots of 
the entire region. The houses are built on high posts, to 
protect the people from the incursions of the wandering 
crabs, which live among the rocks, and move over the island 
at night in such vast numbers that thay destroy every edi- 
ble thing they can find. 

The sub-marine gardens form a very interesting scene. 

Far down in the clear, green water wave brilliant sea 
grass, sea fans, flowers and vines. 

Through this marine shrubbery and the coral grottoes play 
many species offish, from the golden minnow to ponderous 
fishes of 500 pounds weight. Conches and shell fish of all 
kinds abound. 



NASSAU. 

Nassau, the capital of the colony of the Bahamas, is built 
on the north side of New Providence Island. The city is a 
popular winter resort for invalids and pleasure seekers. The 
sponge trade is important. There are many objects of in- 
terest found in this locality. The caves, Banyan tree, palm 
trees, silk cotton tree, and the life plant. If a leaf of this 
plant be broken off and pinned to the wall, it will thrive and 
grow so rapidly as to produce shoots and leaves enough to 
cover the side of a large room. The harbor at Nassau was 
used by the Confederates as a stopping place for the blockade 
runners during the Rebellion. 



362 NORTH AMERICA. 



BERMUDA ISLANDS. 

These islands are located in vicinity of 32° north latitude, 
and 63° west longitude, or about 600 east of South Carolina. 

They are not included in the West Indies, but are con- 
trolled directly by the British crown. 

St. George has an excellent harbor and is strongly forti- 
fied. 

Dangerous coral reSfs encircle these islands, except where 
the English have blasted an entrance to St. George's harbor. 

The longest floating dock in the world is at Bermuda. It 
is 380 feet long and 123 feet in breadth. 

The Bermuda Islands are noted for the vegetables pro- 
duced. 

There are no good wells nor fresh water streams here. 

Rain water, collected in tanks, is the only source of drink- 
ing water. The houses are built of blocks of coral, which 
a single frost would cause to crumble. 

CUBA. 

Cuba is the most important colony of Spain, and the largest 
of the West India Islands — about the size of Pennsylvania. 

The soil is fertile and products various. The island is 
rich in mineral resources and productions of the forests. 
Monkeys, alligators, lizards, turtles, birds and fishes of many 
species, tarantulas and scorpions, abound on this island. 

The three great staple articles of Cuba are sugar, tobacco 
and rum. 

Two crops of corn are matured here in one year. 

Only once in the known history of Cuba has snow fallen, 
that of December 24-25, 1856. The climate is generally con- 
sidered healthful. 



WEST INDIES. 363 



King tells us that children go to school from 7 to 9 in the 
morning, and 4 to 6 in the evening. Owing to the warm 
weather there is no session in the middle of the day. 

The heat causes terrible storms, called hurricanes, which 
do an immense amount of damage. 

HAVANA. 

Havana, the capital of Cuba and metropolis of the West 
Indies, is situated on one of the best harbors in the world, 
on the northwestern shore of the island. In foreign com- 
merce it ranks next to New^ York. 

It is the world's greatest sugar market, and has the name 
of producing the most celebrated cigars. 

The city consists of the old or walled town, and the new 
one built beyond. It is strongly guarded by six forts. 

Christopher Columbus reposed here nearly 100 years, un- 
til 1887, when his remains were placed on board an Italian 
ship, and conveyed to Genoa, with great ceremony. 

There are numerous churches, convents, schools, and 
many public buildings in Havana. 

HAYTI. 

The Island of Hayti, formerly called Hispaniola, is com- 
posed of two independent States, the Republic of Hayti, in 
the west, and San Domingo, in the eastern part. 

Mineral wealth abounds here, but at present it is unde- 
veloped. Mineral springs and lakes are numerous. 

The vegetation is of a tropical character. Coffee, cotton, 
sugar cane, tobacco, indigo and cocoa, are the chief articles 
of export. Turtles, lobsters, oysters and crabs, are com- 
mon along the coast. Columbus founded Isabella, on the 



364 NORTH AMEIUCA. 



north shore, in December, 1492. The Buccaneers infested 
this region in its early history. 

The language of these republics is French, and religion 
Roman Catholic. Port au Prince is the capital of Hayti, 
and San Domingo of the eastern republic. 

JAMAICA. 

Jamaica is the largest of the British possessions in the 
West Indies. Hurricanes and earthquakes frequenth' occur. 

The remains of one city, and all its inhabitants, lies 50 
feet under the sea, the result of an earthquake. 

The soil is not so fertile as the other islands, yet ground 
fruits are plentiful. The forest products are important. 

Kingston, the capital, has a very large and commodious 
harbor. 

WINDWARD ISLANDS. 

Barbadoes is the most important of the Windward 
Islands. It belongs to England. Coral reefs almost en- 
circle the island. Bridgetown is the capital, containing 20,- 
000 people. '^ 

Trinidad, the largest of the group, is noted for its mud 
volcanoes and remarkable pitch lake. This lake is near the 
coast, and the pitch is hard at the sides, but in the center it 
is constantly boiling. Pitch is extensively exported. 

Margarita and Tortuga belong to Venezuela. They 
produce salt. 

Martinique is a French possession. There are six dis- 
tinct volcanoes on this island. Sugar, coffee, cotton and 
cocoa are produced. 

St. Vincent has a volcano 3,000 feet high. 

The crater is three miles in circumference and 500 feet 
deep. 



WEST INDIES. 335 



LEEWARD ISLANDS. 

St. Thomas and St. John belong to Denmark. St. 
Thomas, the capital, is noted for being a free port. It has 
telegraph lines to the continent. The trade is extensive. 

GuADALOUPK belongs to France, and exports are sent to 
that country. 

Virgin Islands are a group of upwards of loo small islets 
belonging to different nations. 



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